When Ronald Acuna Jr. blew out his proper knee on July 10, 2021, Alex Anthopoulos felt compelled to reply rapidly.
The Braves’ head of baseball operations wished to ship a message to the Atlanta gamers that the season was not misplaced — that the entrance workplace and the group ought to each proceed to battle. So 5 days later, Anthopoulos traded for veteran outfielder Joc Pederson and catcher Stephen Vogt, and earlier than the top of the summer season, he’d add three extra outfielders — Adam Duvall, Eddie Rosario and Jorge Soler. The Braves would go on to win the World Collection that fall, with these midseason additions contributing considerably.
Now Acuna has suffered one other anterior cruciate ligament harm, to his different knee, and once more he’s out for the season.
The Braves’ state of affairs shouldn’t be practically as dire because it was when Acuna was harm in ’21 — then, Atlanta was struggling to play .500 ball, and did not have practically as deep of a roster because it does now. However this time, the group has to maneuver forward not solely with out the reigning Nationwide League MVP, but in addition with out its most dominant pitcher, Spencer Strider, who suffered a season-ending elbow harm on the outset of the season.
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The early success (and good well being) of Chris Sale has helped to plug the opening created by Strider’s harm. However the Braves’ offense — which had already been in an early funk after setting information for house runs final yr — will want heroes to emerge within the lineup.
It is likely to be third baseman Austin Riley, who is predicted to return quickly from a minor again harm suffered a few weeks in the past. At that time, Riley had felt that he was nearly to emerge from an early-season hunch. “I’m this shut,” stated Riley, holding his index and thumb millimeters aside, as he described how he felt on the plate.
Perhaps it will be Braves heart fielder Michael Harris II, who is aware of what it means to dig out of a hunch. Final yr, Harris was activated off the injured record with out taking at-bats within the minors as a result of the employees felt his protection was so vital — and for six weeks, he struggled mightily on the plate. However in his final 100 video games, Harris batted .335 with 63 runs, 16 house runs and 15 stolen bases. He could possibly be a pure candidate to ascend into the leadoff spot.
All-Star catcher Sean Murphy, too, was simply activated after lacking a lot of the previous two months with a rib cage harm. First baseman Matt Olson has already begun to work his means out of a sluggish begin, batting .290 with 5 homers in his previous 16 video games. Via his April struggles, Olson had really generated hard-hit charges that had been consistent with what he produced final yr, however he didn’t have the outcomes to point out for it. His teammates felt he had been the sufferer of some unhealthy BABIP luck.
Many pointed to a sport in opposition to the Crimson Sox on Could 8: Olson scorched a line drive towards left discipline that Boston third baseman Rafael Devers rose to barely spear. Braves hitting coach Kevin Seitzer might see Olson’s shoulders sag with frustration on the sight of yet one more intercepted line drive.
However Devers could not maintain the ball, and Olson obtained successful. Earlier than the subsequent sport, Seitzer spoke to Olson about his response to Devers’ temporary interception. When Olson’s shoulders dropped, Seitzer stated, it was like he might see that misfortune weighing down the All-Star first baseman. Seitzer advised Olson there was no sense clinging to that frustration, as a result of these early-season at-bats had been behind him, and he could not change the consequence.
“So far as I am involved, the season begins for you at the moment,” Seitzer stated. Hours later, after Olson had clubbed a house run in a series-opening win over the Mets, Seitzer greeted Olson within the handshake line and punctuated his earlier remarks: “Have an ideal season.”
Perhaps the Braves will get a lift from Ozzie Albies, or Jarred Kelenic, the proficient younger outfielder who has swung properly in his first season with the Braves. Perhaps Duvall, signed late in spring coaching, will make the most of the extra taking part in time he’ll get. Perhaps Marcell Ozuna will proceed to hold the offense, as he has for lots of this season.
“He is likely to be the perfect hitter in baseball proper now,” Cubs supervisor Craig Counsell stated Sunday as he described a plate look that Ozuna had in opposition to his group.
And it is a certainty that Anthopoulos, reflexively proactive, will scan the commerce market and search for alternatives to improve, even at a time when his farm system is thinner than that of different contenders. Anthopoulos usually holds some spending flexibility in reserve, and inevitably, different groups will look to dump dear veterans as they fall out of the race. Sellers will develop, and outfielders will grow to be accessible. Tyler O’Neill, Harrison Bader, Mark Canha, Starling Marte, Tommy Pham, Rosario (once more) and Kevin Kiermaier are among the many gamers on short-term offers who could possibly be moved this yr if their respective groups fall out of rivalry.
Braves supervisor Brian Snitker talked earlier this yr concerning the group’s offensive issues and talked about a trait he sees within the collective mindset of the group. “These guys won’t panic,” he stated. “They may by no means panic. Three years in the past, we misplaced Acuna, and these guys simply stored going.”
Three years in the past, they gained the World Collection with out him.
Now the Braves should attempt to try this once more.