All signs point to Ozzie Albies coming back on Friday

Since the announcement that Ozzie Albies had been placed on the 10-day injured list, there has been nothing but great news about the Braves All-Star second baseman.

Within days, he was walking without a boot and participating in fielding drills, and earlier this week, he started batting practice. The initial reaction was that he would be out for a few weeks, but it will be much shorter.

Albies is eligible to return from the injured list on Friday when the Braves host the Guardians at Truist Park, and all signs point to him playing this weekend given that David Fletcher has been outrighted to Gwinnett.

The Braves outrighted David Fletcher to Triple-A Gwinnett. This seemingly clears the way for them to reinstate Ozzie Albies for Friday’s series opener against Cleveland.

— Justin Toscano (@JustinCToscano) April 25, 2024

Obviously, getting Albies back is the major priority, but there’s another interesting side to this deal. With David Fletcher making his Braves debut, he can now choose free agency rather than staying in Gwinnett.

Most likely, that is the path he will choose because he should have little trouble obtaining work. With Albies out, Fletcher performed admirably as a utility player and proved to be an important defender. He deserves a position on a major-league team, but it’s unlikely to happen in Atlanta until another injury occurs. I doubt Fletcher will wait for that to happen, so we may have already witnessed his final moments with the Braves.