September 20: Atlanta has officially announced the reinstatement of Albies. Infielder Cavan Biggio was optioned to Triple-A Gwinnett in a corresponding move. Biggio has more than five years of major league service time and therefore can’t be optioned to the minors without his consent, so he presumably has agreed to be sent down.
September 19: The Braves will welcome Ozzie Albies back tomorrow. Manager Brian Snitker confirmed after today’s 15-3 drubbing of the Reds that Atlanta will activate Albies from the 10-day injured list (link via Justin Toscano of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution). They’ve been without their star second baseman for almost two months because of a left wrist fracture. The Braves will need to create an active roster spot tomorrow.
Albies still feels discomfort when he hits from the left side. He’ll limit himself to the right-handed batter’s box as a result. That’s his far stronger side in general. Albies is a career .339/.364/.568 hitter against left-handed pitching. He has a roughly average .247/.309/.437 slash versus righties. His task as a right-handed batter will be more difficult without always having the platoon advantage (to say nothing of the challenge of jumping back to action after an eight-week absence). Still, if Albies had to choose a side of the plate, he’d certainly pick this one.
It’s crunch time for Atlanta. The Braves are 1.5 games behind the Diamondbacks and Mets for the final playoff spot in the National League (pending Arizona’s and New York’s results tonight). Atlanta holds the tiebreaker over Arizona. They’ve split the season series with the Mets and will decide that tiebreaker with a three-game set at home early next week. That looks as if it’ll be the biggest regular season series of the year for any team.
Atlanta is headed to Miami for a three-game weekend set. They’re off on Monday before closing their season with the Mets and three games against the Royals (who might be fighting for their own playoff lives) at home. The Mets are hosting the Phillies for four this weekend before closing their season with road sets in Atlanta and Milwaukee. Arizona has a four-game series in Milwaukee and will play host to the Giants and Padres for three apiece next week.
The Braves have had a middle-of-the-pack offense for the past couple months. They’re 13th in scoring since the Albies injury, with similarly middling showings in on-base percentage (16th) and slugging (12th). Atlanta second basemen are hitting .220/.319/.296 across 216 plate appearances in that stretch. That’s weighed down by dreadful small-sample performances from Luke Williams and prospect Nacho Alvarez Jr. The Braves have given most of the second base reps to Whit Merrifield, who has reached base at a strong .344 clip but hasn’t provided any kind of power since signing with Atlanta.
Merrifield has plenty of experience bouncing around the diamond. If Snitker wanted to keep him in the lineup, he’d probably kick him to third base and bench Gio Urshela. The veteran corner infielder is hitting .234/.258/.340 over 26 games as a Brave. Urshela signed a big league deal in the wake of Austin Riley’s injury, not long after Urshela was released by the Tigers.
Urshela’s offense hasn’t been good, but his defense has been fantastic.
Urshela has started swinging noticably harder at times and he has been hitting the ball with more authority the last 4 games or so. Right now I’d say he has a slight edge but they will likely split time despite both being right handed. Need to at least have one hitting respectably going into the postseason potentially (and the Mets series). They both need at bats to figure out who to lean on. Like I’ve said Whit has also said he is not as comfortable playing 3rd and said he probably can’t play the outfield with his foot being fractured
I point out that he’s swinging harder because he had been just taking weak, short little cuts at the ball until recently (like every pitch was 2 strikes against Randy Johnson).
Just in time for the playoff push.
Those 3 games with the Mets are some of the most critical remaining games in MLB.
I said this about a month ago and it is happening… the Mets/Braves series will determine the wildcard and I’m thinking the Mets will overtake the Braves and the revenge will be complete for 2022. The Mets are not a good team regardless. The Braves are bad too. Neither team will get far.
As for Albies, a slight improvement to the offense. Amongst the most overrated players in the game, albeit the rankings recently either avoid putting him in the top 10 2B or have him on the bottom.
The Mets arent a good team? They have been on a role the last 2 months. They are one of the best teams in baseball right now.
There’s a colonel of truth to that.
That is a general statement right there. Did you first make it in private? Of course, that may be a major assumption on my part to even ask. But, you are the captain of your own fate.
“The Mets aren’t a good team”…The Mets are on a roll these last 1.5 months+ and I might agree they aren’t a “great” team, but they are most certainly a “good” team right now.
Winning the World Series isn’t necessarily about who’s the “best” team during the regular season, but is definitely about who’s the “best” team right now.
Top 3 team in baseball from end of May until August and THE best team in baseball the last month is “not a good team regardless”?
Good thing you included your amazing prediction that a division series in late September might be impactful otherwise your entire comment would’ve been nonsense.
They’re 61-35 since June 1, best in baseball, which is a 102 win pace. So basically, the last four months, which isn’t a small sample size. People just can’t admit when they were wrong about the Mets, guess it ruins the LOLMets narrative.
Actually, the Mets look to be in the ascent, and their starting pitching, based off recent performances, makes them a plus-bet team in the playoffs. The Lindor situation is a potential downturn, but in the postseason good starting pitching is key, and the Mets are getting it.
That Lindor injury hurts… even if he plays, he won’t be able to play at the same level
Might be too little too late at this point. Hopefully the Braves can catch fire and knock the Mets out and sneak into the playoffs but there isn’t much time left. Braves have probably blown around 20 close games this year.
Nats fan here rooting hard for the Braves, but the alignment of the stars says it is not their year. Playing everyday without Albies, Acuna and Riley, plus the loss off Strider — the playoffs may be too much to ask of the mere-mortal fill-ins. But it sure would be fun to see Laureano, Soler, Urshela and Merrifield get the job done.
Is Riley supposed to be back for the postseason?
Yes
This is the second time in a row hes been out a long while and went on a rehab assignment looking like he never missed a beat. Last time he came back strong but soon after slumped.
LOLMets Choketober loading……
Mets arent choking. If any of the 3 teams ahead of the Braves miss the playoffs it will be Arizona. It will be nice to have the Phillies, Mets and Braves make it.
It’s not a matter of choking tho. They are only 2 up, with 3 in ATL to go. I agree Dbacks look more likely to falter but there are no games against ARZ for ATL so the most likely route will still be NYM. I would give ATL a 35% chance or so. 2 teams to chase makes it easier. The Braves have honestly played very well the last month. NY has just been a beast. The Braves are dangerous tho looking to that series. Great pitching and Harris, Olson, and Soler are all hot. Olson can sweep you a series with a few swings. And Ozuna is heating back up too.
I think it will come down to the braves or Mets. That Braves Mets series is going to be a real banger.
While the Mets have a two game lead right now there is a decent chance that shrinks before they meet. If it’s within 1 game whoever wins that series is in great shape.
I think the dbacks will hang on.
OMG bro!!!!! You’re way too funny to be here.
From changing October to Choketober and now you’re saying I’m dumb because my name is Don’tBeDumb?! I can’t match you wit for wit.
I concede. You’re a genius. Amazing work
That’s amazing comedy.
I love the “loading….” part that’s fantastic. It’s like they’re an old website from the 90s!!!
LOLMETS, did you come up with that?
You should probably follow your screen name.
That’s what braves fans don’t understand about this season and the baseball gods. They want to f the Mets way more than they want us to win. We will get in as a wild card team and actually I think we are a good bet at +1800 to make the WS given state dodgers rotation.
Wow. I just looked at his bref page and could not believe this is Albies’ eighth big league season…
I just checked Whit’s B-R page, hoping to find ANY experience at shortstop, but sadly he hasn’t played there. I’d love to bench Arcia for a while. His defense has been great (mostly) but his bat has been atrocious.
Arcia is a better bat than Urshela so that is not an option of him at short.
Think the Braves will start Merrifield at third for the bat than close game late inning have Urshela
Replace him for defense.
@Benjamin101677
Can’t agree with you at all regarding Arcia being a better bat than Urshela. I’d have Urshela at SS and Whit at 3rd.
Arcia with risp .164
with runners on .208
bases loaded .133
late inning pressure .152
bases empty .225
Urshela with risp .237
with runners on .243
bases loaded .375
late inning pressure .237
bases empty .243
Arcia’s approach is horrendous. He hits home runs with no one on, and his at bats are garbage, he never shortens up for a base hit, he swings at rubbish out of the zone, and he watches pitches that are hittable in the strike zone. He has literally cost the Braves so many times. The other thing to add is that Ozzie should not have been hitting #2 first game back..that was ridiculous.
When ATL lost both Strider and Acuna I felt like they could still get in as a WC. But with Albies and Riley missing time in the 2nd half I have to say I’ll be surprised if they make it.
It’s been a strange season for Atlanta. I thought that Olson’s numbers would go down but not by this much and Murphy’s offense is basically gone. Also most surprising is with all the injuries to the team, Chris Sale has managed to stay healthy. He doesn’t deserve it but if the Braves make the playoffs at all Snitker will get some manager of the year votes.
My belobed braves arent playing with heart.
Right now they’re trying to play individual baseball, the bats are clickibg because its only 9 more games to go and round up personal statistics. For the 1st 100 games Matt Olson was nowhere to be found but lately hes pushing for 30, Ozuna dried up but now picked up trying for 40, Arcia has many mental lapses on the field as his personal best in homers (17); the Marlins should’ve not won yesterday, but Morton tried his hardest to throw and not pitch, the 1st inning was all throwing, next 4 was pitching… Overall the team kind of sucks due to injury or personal goals, it feels like most are looking out for themselves.
AA did a good job only with sale, everywhere else was D- at best, Kelenic was a “cute” move which hasn’t bring alpha stuff, one of my favorite players (duvall), hit .190, and Murphy looks like dead at the box.
Harris hit like if he was injure at the begining until he was out for a month, now he’s trying catch up but he’s no Acuña. Merrifield was ok, and the bullpen found its way to lose many games.
Fried and Morton are pitching overall sucky and if it was up to me i let them walk and trade the entire farm for skubal or anyone young able to help. Such an awful season.
Braves have to sweep this series against the Mets or their season is over. What happened to the Phillies? They should be the number one seed in the NL but the Dodgers have passed them. Thought Aaron could reach 60 Homers again but Ohtani will probably pass him before the year is over.