Braves second baseman Ozzie Albies supports the team’s plan to give him spaced-out off days over the next couple of weeks, hoping extra rest eventually will erase his right-wrist soreness.
Albies, 23, said he began feeling sore in the days leading to the Braves’ regular-season opener. He downplayed it, thinking it was simply a result of a ramped-up workload at summer camp.
“I first felt it two weeks ago,” he said. “I’d been playing baseball, and I thought it was a little thing. I just kept playing, and I felt it a little bit more. … It’s been feeling better now.”
Albies had been out of the starting lineup in two of three games in the series against the Mets entering Monday, when the Braves were going for the four-game sweep against Jacob deGrom. Albies started for the Braves, manning second and hitting second.
The switch-hitter is off to a slow start through his first nine games. Albies is slashing .194/.216/.333 with one homer and six RBIs. He has seven hits (three for extra-bases) in 36 at-bats.
Albies, along with teammate Ronald Acuna, who’s slowly overcoming his own uninspiring start, is a spark plug at the top of the lineup. The Braves have won seven of 10 without much from the Albies-Acuna duo, In other words, the Braves’ offense is nowhere close to its peak form.
To maximize Albies, the Braves are going to play it safely. They feel giving Albies a handful of off-days over roughly a 14-day stretch could pay off later, when they hope their young All-Star is hitting his stride as the 60-game regular season transitions into the postseason.
“You’ll see us space (the days off) out over a couple weeks in trying to nip it in the bud,” manager Brian Snitker. “It’s just one of those things we’ll try to manage and be smart about. I think with time, even in this short season, we can get him right.”
Notes from Monday:
» Lefty Will Smith is approaching his return. Smith faced hitters for the first time Monday afternoon, throwing around 25 pitches. Snitker said Smith “threw the ball really well.”
While Snitker expressed doubt Smith would return Tuesday, he remains on track to join the team in the coming days, likely before the Braves depart on their next road trip this weekend. The Braves plan for Smith to throw a simulated game before he’s activated.
The Braves’ bullpen arguably has been their greatest strength so far, posting a 3.07 ERA across the first 10 games. Their 10.64 strikeouts-per-nine innings rank sixth best in the majors. In total, Braves relievers have posted 0.8 WAR thus far, fourth highest in baseball behind the Dodgers, Rays and Astros.
Adding Smith, a 2019 All-Star and prize offseason acquisition, will only deepen a group that’s been getting unexpected production from relievers such as Tyler Matzek and A.J. Minter.
» After Max Fried faces the Blue Jays on Tuesday, Sean Newcomb and Touki Toussaint are still lined up for the next two outings. The Braves haven’t given any indication they’ll insert another starter into the rotation yet.
Top prospect Ian Anderson presumably would be on the short list of candidates should the Braves decide to use another starter. Outside Mike Soroka and Fried, every Braves starter is competing to keep his job role now.
» The Braves assigned right-hander Jhoulys Chacin to their alternate training site in Gwinnett on Monday. They recently designated Chacin for assignment after he allowed four runs over 1-1/3 innings of relief Friday.
Like Mike Foltynewicz, who was designated but later assigned to the alternate site, Chacin is removed from the 40-man roster but remains in the Braves’ 60-player pool. He would be an option to add length or make a spot start if the Braves’ pitching numbers dwindle.
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