Ozzie Albies, the Atlanta Braves second baseman, has been cleared for a rehab assignment.
He might be back in the Braves’ lineup very soon.
Atlanta Braves second baseman Ozzie Albies will take the final measures in his return to the lineup.
According to David O’Brien of The Athletics, Albies will play rehab assignment games with Triple-A Gwinnett on Tuesday and Wednesday. He might rejoin the Braves as early as Friday in Miami to begin their series against the Miami Marlins.
Albies is healing from a left wrist fracture. He was injured on a tag play in the ninth inning of the Braves’ series finale against the St. Louis Cardinals on July 21.
The Stripers finish their season with a series in Jacksonville, the Marlins’ Triple-A affiliate. Being able to simply hop down I-95 after his rehab games is quite convenient.
O’Brien stated that Albies will play second base in both games. While this may seem obvious at first, keep in mind that Michael Harris II began his rehab assignment as a designated hitter and subsequently went to the field.
Less than a week ago, it appeared like he would not be able to return before the regular season ended. Then, on Friday, Albies announced that in order to return to the lineup, he will play and bat primarily right-handed.
During his recuperation, he was more comfortable batting right than left. His left side was damaged, so that checks.
In 101 plate appearances as a right-handed hitter in 2024, Albies bats.343 with a.912 OPS, four homers, and 28 RBI. He hasn’t batted right-handed against a right-handed pitcher this year.
I’m not sure how much worse he would be. In 293 plate appearances as a left-handed batter against left-handed pitchers, he is hitting.225 with a.645 OPS, four home runs, and 32 RBI.
It won’t be long until we learn whether he simply hits better from the right side or if he suffers against righties. He’s a natural righty, thus it’s most likely the former. However, there is currently insufficient data to make an informed decision.