Braves to Activate Ozzie Albies From IL, Will Exclusively Hit Right-Handed
At long last, Ozzie Albies rejoined the Atlanta Braves ahead of their three-game series versus the Miami Marlins.
The 27-year-old infielder was activated off the injured list prior to Friday’s series opener. He last appeared in the majors on July 21st but has since been sidelined due to a fractured left wrist.
Albies, naturally a switch-hitter, is still experiencing discomfort in his left wrist when batting left-handed. Hitting from the other side, however, has been just fine. So, he plans to exclusively bat right-handed upon returning from the IL.
That means he’ll have to face right-handed pitchers as a right-handed hitter, something he’s done only 14 times across 862 career big-league games. But that’s a challenge he’s more than willing to accept for a club in the midst of a tight playoff race.
“Everybody on the team is asking me when I’m going to be back,” Albies told reporters last week, including MLB.com’s Mark Bowman. “I want to make sure I can just check the boxes that need to be checked to be one hundred percent ready to play, and that’s it.”
The three-time All-Star participated in a Triple-A rehab assignment with Gwinnett earlier this week, going 4-for-8 with three singles, a home run and three RBIs in a pair of games.
Albies’ round-tripper travelled 346 feet to left field, coming off his barrel at 104.6 mph.
The Braves, who’ve been ravaged by injuries all season, have relied upon a small handful of players at second base in Albies’ absence the last few months, ranging from Whit Merrifield – who returned from a fractured left foot last week – Luke Williams, Cavan Biggio and Nacho Alvarez Jr.
Amongst them, Merrifield has logged the most reps after being acquired by Atlanta following his release from the Philadelphia Phillies. In 41 games, the three-time All-Star has hit one home run and drove in four while slashing .248/.348/.336, accounting for a 97 wRC+.
Prior to fracturing his wrist, Albies had been struggling to perform up to his usual standards at the plate, posting a .258/.310/.407 slash line with eight home runs, 46 RBIs and a 98 wRC+ in 90 games.
Those first-half woes were a considerable step down from last season’s production, which included career-highs in home runs (33), RBIs (109), slugging percentage (.513) and wRC+ (124). He also registered his second-highest fWAR (4.1), trailing only his 2019 showing (4.2).
Albies’ return presents a massive boost of optimism for a Braves squad that just won two out of three against the Cincinnati Reds. But they enter Sunday’s slate still two games back of the New York Mets for the final NL wild-card seed.
Since both clubs have seven games remaining, next week’s pivotal three-game showdown at Truist Park is expected to have significant ramifications for deciding who claims the final ticket to the postseason.
-Thomas Hall
Twitter: @Hall_Thomas_
Photo: Thomson200. This file is made available under the Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Universal Public Domain Dedication