The Braves placed veteran right-hander Jesse Chavez on the 15-day injured list with a left-shin contusion, the team announced Thursday. The team recalled right-hander Ben Heller to fill the open roster spot.
Chavez, 39, was injured Wednesday when Miguel Cabrera’s 99.6-mph comebacker hit his shin. His X-rays were negative. Chavez also underwent further testing at a hospital in Detroit. Chavez was considered day-to-day, but the team now will be without its key reliever for a stretch.
“He can’t even walk on it yet,” manager Brian Snitker said. “You don’t know how long it will be, so especially after the doubleheader (Wednesday, we couldn’t go a reliever short). If he had come in and he was strong and walking around, I think we probably would’ve been OK to wait a couple days. But it looks like it’s longer than that.”
Chavez has been a godsend in the bullpen, posting a 1.55 ERA across 31 appearances this season. He recently has generated some All-Star buzz from media and fans, if for no reason other than drawing national attention to how valuable he’s been for a first-place club. Chavez, who’s been traded a record 10 times, is in his fourth stint with the Braves.
Heller, 31, was acquired from Tampa Bay last week for international bonus-pool space. He has a 3.68 ERA over 20 appearances at Triple-A Gwinnett this season, striking out 36 in 29-1/3 innings. He pitched in 31 games for the Yankees from 2016-20, earning a 2.59 ERA over that time, before injuries stalled him in recent years.
The Braves (42-26) held a 4.5-game lead over the Marlins entering play Thursday.
Aguilar signing
The Braves added another veteran to their Triple-A depth, recently signing first baseman Jesus Aguilar, a well-traveled slugger. The 32-year-old hit .221/.281/.385 with five homers this season with the Athletics, who released him this month.
Many Braves fans will remember Aguilar for his stint with the Marlins (2020-22). He isn’t that far removed from being a legitimate power threat. From 2017-22, Aguilar had a .782 OPS. He played for the Guardians, Brewers, Marlins, Rays and Orioles before joining the A’s on a one-year deal last winter.
The Braves have acquired experienced depth throughout the season in case a need arises. They signed utilityman Charlie Culberson (who’s in the majors now), utilityman Chad Pinder, lefty Justus Sheffield and Aguilar over the past few months. They have additional veterans in Triple-A such as speedster Forrest Wall and outfielder Eli White, among others.
Arcia the All-Star?
Shortstop Orlando Arcia led National League shortstops after the first round of fan All-Star voting, quite a development for a player who was competing for the job during spring training. Arcia, 28, certainly deserves consideration: He’s hit .331 with an .853 OPS across 47 games while providing steady defense. Snitker endorsed Arcia as an All-Star.
“Deservedly so,” Snitker said. “It’d be awesome if he holds on and could get a berth on that team.”
This series
The Braves opened a four-game series against the Rockies on Thursday. While the Braves went 6-1 against Colorado last season, they’ve had mixed results against the Rockies in recent seasons. From 2015-21, the Braves had failed to win the season series against Colorado (the teams didn’t play in 2020).
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