TORONTO -- Marcell Ozuna heard the boos, endured a frustrating start and then managed to prove he still has something to offer. His unexpected, but much-welcomed awakening has created what should be considered good problems for Braves manager Brian Snitker.

Ozuna’s latest home run wasn’t enough to prevent Atlanta from posting a third straight loss with a 5-2 setback against the Blue Jays on Saturday afternoon at Rogers Centre. But his resurgence has been timely, given this team’s need to find any way to compensate for its growing pitching issues.

“You’re going to go through these stretches,” Snitker said. “You just have to keep fighting.”

A few weeks ago, it didn’t seem like Ozuna would even be part of the Braves’ future. He hit .085 with a .397 OPS over 67 plate appearances in April, and it looked like he’d be the odd man out once Atlanta activated Travis d'Arnaud from the concussion list.

Well, d’Arnaud has been active for each of the past four games, but thoughts of him and fellow catcher Sean Murphy primarily sharing the designated hitter role have evaporated, as Ozuna hit .333 with five homers and a 1.277 OPS over his first 23 plate appearances of May.

“If he can continue to do this, it would be a really good thing for us,” Snitker said.

Ozuna’s past two seasons have been tarnished by injuries, legal issues and the .687 OPS he posted in 507 plate appearances last year. But for the first time in two campaigns, he’s no longer one of the team’s primary concerns.

Persevering without Max Fried and Kyle Wright in the rotation over the next two months creates a significant challenge for the Braves. On paper, they do have a lineup potent enough to compensate for the absence of two of the team’s top three starters, but this offense has totaled four runs over the past three games.

Bad timing? Yeah, there’s a good chance this offense gets back on track -- especially if Ozuna continues producing like it’s 2020 again.

But the most concerning issue might now be the relief corps, which will be tested again on Sunday, when the Braves go with a bullpen game for the second time in five days.

While Ozuna has been rejuvenated over the past couple of weeks, reliever A.J. Minter has gone in the opposite direction.

Minter has allowed a hit or a walk to 21 of the past 51 batters faced, going back to April 21. He was one of the game’s top relievers last year, posting a 2.06 ERA over 70 innings pitched. But after allowing three singles during Saturday’s decisive two-run seventh, the left-hander has an 8.05 ERA through this year’s first 20 appearances (19 innings).

Minter will now attempt to rebound like Ozuna, whose two-run homer off José Berríos gave the Braves a 2-0 lead in Saturday’s second inning.

“I’m just working every day in the cage and trying to do my best,” Ozuna said. “I stayed behind the ball and got a good pitch to hit.”

Ozuna is hitting .169 with seven homers and a .698 OPS through his first 103 plate appearances. So, he’s not yet a candidate for Comeback Player of the Year, but there are some encouraging signs beyond the fact that he has five homers in his past 27 at-bats. His plate discipline has also improved. Entering Saturday, Ozuna’s chase rate had dropped from 33.4% in 2022 to 25% this season, while his walk rate improved from 6.1% in '22 to 13.1% this year.

“He’s had some really good walks and he’s not chasing,” Snitker said. “So, that’s really a good sign for him.”

With d’Arnaud back and Ozuna surging, Snitker will have to determine how to get everyone regular at-bats.

Murphy has been one of the game’s top hitters over the season’s first six weeks, which has made him a top DH candidate on the days he doesn’t catch. d’Arnaud’s offensive success over the past couple of seasons trumps Ozuna’s surging couple of weeks. But Ozuna will continue to get starts as the DH, and it will be Snitker’s job to determine whom to place in that role on a day-to-day basis.

“It’s good,” Snitker said. “There’s some really good choices right now.”