Who will step up for Braves after Acuna’s newest harm?

When Ronald Acuna Jr. blew out his proper knee on July 10, 2021, Alex Anthopoulos felt compelled to reply shortly.

The Braves’ head of baseball operations needed to ship a message to the Atlanta gamers that the season was not misplaced — that the entrance workplace and the staff ought to each proceed to struggle. 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 Sequence 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’ scenario will not be almost as dire because it was when Acuna was harm in ’21 — then, Atlanta was struggling to play .500 ball, and did not have almost as deep of a roster because it does now. However this time, the staff 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.

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 data for dwelling runs final 12 months — 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.

Possibly it will be Braves middle fielder Michael Harris II, who is aware of what it means to dig out of a hunch. Final 12 months, Harris was activated off the injured checklist with out taking at-bats within the minors as a result of the workers felt his protection was so essential — and for six weeks, he struggled mightily on the plate. However in his final 100 video games, Harris batted .335 with 63 runs, 16 dwelling 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 many of the previous two months with a rib cage harm. First baseman Matt Olson has already begun to work his method out of a sluggish begin, batting .290 with 5 homers in his previous 16 video games. By means of his April struggles, Olson had really generated hard-hit charges that had been according to what he produced final 12 months, however he didn’t have the outcomes to indicate for it. His teammates felt he had been the sufferer of some unhealthy BABIP luck.

Many pointed to a recreation towards the Crimson Sox on Might 8: Olson scorched a line drive towards left subject 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 one more intercepted line drive.

However Devers could not maintain the ball, and Olson bought successful. Earlier than the subsequent recreation, Seitzer spoke to Olson about his response to Devers’ transient interception. When Olson’s shoulders dropped, Seitzer stated, it was like he might see that misfortune weighing down the All-Star first baseman. Seitzer informed 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 outcome.

“So far as I am involved, the season begins for you immediately,” 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.”

Possibly the Braves will get a lift from Ozzie Albies, or Jarred Kelenic, the gifted younger outfielder who has swung properly in his first season with the Braves. Possibly Duvall, signed late in spring coaching, will benefit from the extra enjoying time he’ll get. Possibly Marcell Ozuna will proceed to hold the offense, as he has for lots of this season.

“He is likely to be the most effective hitter in baseball proper now,” Cubs supervisor Craig Counsell stated Sunday as he described a plate look that Ozuna had towards his staff.

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 expensive veterans as they fall out of the race. Sellers will develop, and outfielders will grow to be out there. 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 12 months if their respective groups fall out of competition.

Braves supervisor Brian Snitker talked earlier this 12 months in regards to the staff’s offensive issues and talked about a trait he sees within the collective mindset of the staff. “These guys is not going to panic,” he stated. “They’ll by no means panic. Three years in the past, we misplaced Acuna, and these guys simply saved going.”

Three years in the past, they received the World Sequence with out him.

Now the Braves must attempt to do this once more.