Since joining the Braves on the last day of May, left fielder Abraham Almonte has drawn as many walks as any player in the major leagues. His 20 walks are tied with Milwaukee’s Christian Yelich, a former National League MVP, for the most in MLB over that period.
“A lot of people ask me that same question,” Almonte said Friday when the AJC asked him about his penchant for walks. “I’m still aggressive at home plate. I’m not looking for walks. I’m just looking to get a good pitch that I can hit hard, especially early in the count, and I just shut it down automatically when it’s not what I’m looking for.”
Through Thursday, Almonte had only one hit in 17 at-bats over his past seven games, but he had a .304 on-base percentage during that slump because of six walks.
Almonte, who has become a surprising regular in the Braves’ outfield, has played parts of nine seasons in the big leagues with six teams. The 31-year-old switch-hitter played in only 24 MLB games in the 2019 and 2020 seasons combined, a total he exceeded when he played in his 25th game of this season Friday night at Cincinnati.
The recent slump has dropped his batting average from .295 on June 18 to .230 through Thursday, but the walks have kept his on-base percentage above .400, at .415. He drew a walk in 16 of his first 24 games with the Braves, including in eight consecutive games at one point.
“I’m always a big walk guy, but right now it’s easier because I feel like I’ve got a better idea of what’s going on in the game, what (the pitchers) are trying to do with me,” he said. “I take that as an advantage, kind of knowing when they want to pitch to me and when they’re not going to give me something that I can do damage with.”
The injury-riddled Braves have used Almonte in the cleanup position in the batting order in nine games, and he admits being surprised by that.
“It was fun, especially (because) it was my first time in the big leagues being in the cleanup spot,” Almonte said. “The first day, I was, like, ‘What?’”
After all, he’s hardly the prototypical No. 4 hitter, with 19 home runs in 1,099 career major-league at-bats. He batted fifth Friday.
Back in the lineup
After missing two games with a sore lower back, right fielder Ronald Acuna returned to the Braves’ starting lineup Friday.
“(The trainers) worked on him, and he hit in the cage and says he’s ready to go,” manager Brian Snitker said two hours before the game.
Also back in the lineup Friday: center fielder Guillermo Heredia, who was sidelined for three games -- with the exception of a pinch-hitting appearance Thursday -- because of a sore right wrist.
Notes and numbers
-- The Braves’ “plan right now” is for pitcher Max Fried to come off the 10-day injured list to start against the New York Mets at Truist Park on Wednesday, Snitker said. Fried has been sidelined by a blister on his left index finger.
-- The Braves were 1-for-10 with runners in scoring position while losing Thursday’s series opener against the Reds, making them 5-for-34 in such situations over the past seven games. Yet, for the season, the Braves have the seventh-best OPS in the majors with runners in scoring position.
“You love it when it’s happening, and when it’s not, it’s kind of agonizing,” Snitker said. “You just keep waiting for that first one to fall where everybody maybe relaxes and doesn’t try to do too much.”
-- First baseman Freddie Freeman raised his batting average to a season-high .254 by going a combined 6-for-9 on Wednesday and Thursday. That’s up 30 points since June 9.
-- Rookie catcher William Contreras entered Friday in a 3-for-31 slump.
-- After hitting .311 with a 1.005 OPS in May, Austin Riley is hitting .217 with a .609 OPS in June (through Thursday).
