Getty Image
The Atlanta Braves can’t seem to escape the injury bug this season. Having already seen star player Ronald Acuna go down with a knee injury, the club watched second baseman Ozzie Albies exit a game early after injuring his wrist in a loss to the Cardinals.
In response to that setback, the Braves signed utilityman Whit Merrifield on Monday. Just hours later, he, too, was injured!
Albies was hurt while attempting to make a tag on a St. Louis baserunner over the weekend. On the play, the runner collided with his glove hand as he tried to make the tag.
The result was a broken wrist that expects to keep the infielder out for two months.
@sportsgrid The Braves injury bug keeps biting. Ozzie Albies is out for at least 8 weeks with a broken wrist. #BravesCountry #Braves #ATL #MLBnews #baseballtiktok #injuries #injuryupdate ♬ original sound – SportsGrid
Brian Snitker was frustrated after the matchup, saying he’s not sure how many injuries his team can overcome as they look to make a push to the playoffs.
“It gets to a point where it’s kind of over the top a little bit, and you can’t cover it,” he said after seeing Albies go down. “Depth will cover it to an extent, but after a while it’s hard.”
Unfortunately, it might’ve just gotten worse!
The Braves brought in productive utilityman Whit Merrifield as Ozzie Albies’ replacement, and he immediately had to get checked out for an injury of his own.
You might not believe it, but it’s true: Whit Merrifield took a ball off a finger of his throwing hand while taking grounders an hour ago, is being evaluated now to make sure there’s no damage.
-David O’Brien / X: @DOBrienATL
The team is hoping it doesn’t result in a trip to the IL, though with Atlanta’s luck to this point, nothing’s out of the question.
“Can’t make it up,” Snitker said after the latest setback. “This year is something else.”
Should he return without serious injury, Merrifield has proven effective at the big-league level. With the Royals, he twice led the American League in hits while pacing the AL in steals on three occasions.
Merrifield was an All-Star last season in Toronto, though he’s struggled in his lone season with the Phillies.
Should he shake the issues at the plate, Merrifield provides versatility for Atlanta. Of course, he’ll need to be on the field to do so.
Hopefully, his injury isn’t serious, and he won’t miss any time.