Atlanta Braves manager Brian Snitker informed us what we should expect from many injured players.
The Atlanta Braves have been ravaged by injuries this season.
Losing Ronald Acuña Jr., last year’s MVP, and Spencer Strider, the league’s strikeout leader, were not the only injuries the team faced. Max Fried was out of the rotation due to left elbow neuritis, while other relievers were absent due to a variety of maladies. Several position players have lost time, including Ozzie Albies, who is on his second injured list stint of the season due to a broken wrist.
However, manager Brian Snitker provided favorable reports on two crucial players of the roster: outfielder Michael Harris II and starter Reynaldo López.
Snitker updated the prior news of Harris’ rehabilitation stint, explaining the timetable and plan for the outfielder. Originally dispatched to Florida to face live pitching at the team’s North Port facility, Hurricane Debby’s landfall earlier this week brought the outfielder back to Atlanta for Plan B: join the Gwinnett Stripers on their road trip to Tennessee this week to play the Memphis Redbirds.
Snitker added that Harris is slated to start as the designated hitter for the first two to three games before moving to outfield. If Harris performs well defensively, he is expected to rejoin the team for their three-city road trip, which begins at the end of this week. With the earliest eligible date for activation being August 14th, he would miss the series opener against the Rockies in Colorado, but could return to the team for the final two games against the San Francisco Giants before traveling to Los Angeles to face the Angels the following weekend.
Reynaldo López resumes throwing
According to Justin Toscano of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Reynaldo López, who has been sidelined for almost a week due to “forearm tightness” but was not listed on the injured list until yesterday, resumed physical activity today by playing catch.
López has yet to throw a bullpen or pitch competitively since his start two Sundays ago, but the fact that he is throwing at all shows that the problem is mostly behind him, and it is just a matter of increasing activity while keeping an eye out for any lingering discomfort.
López, who is returning to starting after numerous seasons of relief and has already surpassed his innings from 2023 by nearly 40 innings, is not on the league leaderboards yet leads MLB in ERA. His 2.06 ERA during nineteen starts is the lowest of any starting pitcher with 100 or more innings in 2024. Because López will not be able to return until at least August 17th, he may expect to miss four starts in total, perhaps shaving 25 to 30 innings off his ultimate season count.
Spencer Strider removes elbow brace after surgery
Braves pitcher Spencer Strider, who was out for the season after only two starts due to elbow surgery, has finally shed the enormous brace that he had to wear over his thrice repaired right elbow.
While Strider hasn’t publicly spoken with the media since shortly after his operation, he was recently featured in a promotional video for his unique stadium giveaway, Vinyl Night, which takes place on Wednesday. In the video, he leads members of the three Atlanta-area bands whose vinyl recordings will be presented to fans on Wednesday night on a tour of Truist Park, and he is seen without the bulky appliance he has worn on his right elbow since his surgery earlier this season.
Ahead of Wednesday’s Vinyl Night giveaway, @SpencerSTRIDer got to show his favorite ATL indie bands around the park! 🎸 pic.twitter.com/fl20toa69h
— Atlanta Braves (@Braves) August 6, 2024
Strider is projected to return to the rotation around the start of the 2025 season, however it is unclear what condition or effectiveness he will be in at the time. With Max Fried and Charlie Morton set to hit free agency, there are worries about Atlanta’s rotation possibilities in 2025 behind Chris Sale, Reynaldo López, and Spencer Schwellenbach. It is unclear whether Atlanta will re-sign Fried or Morton (if the latter decides not to retire) or pursue another starter in free agency, but the farm system does have several pitchers who could factor into the team’s 2025 plans, including Ian Anderson, AJ Smith-Shawver, Bryce Elder, Huascar Ynoa, and Hurston Waldrep.
