The recent run of Braves injuries hasn’t been a problem only on the field.
“We’re having a hard time finding parking spots for the guys we’re bringing up,” manager Brian Snitker joked.
Over the past five days, three Braves (AJ Minter, Sam Hilliard and Kolby Allard) were placed on the injured list. A fourth, Eddie Rosario, was day-to-day with a sore hamstring. Eleven Braves on the 40-man roster are on the injured list, leading to a lot of new faces in the locker room and, well, a lot of cars in the parking lot.
Lucas Luetge, Dereck Rodriguez and Seth Elledge are new faces in the bullpen. Forrest Wall is the new guy in the dugout, just waiting for his big league debut.
While several are getting major league opportunities, many of the injuries are short-term. Several Braves are close to returning, either from recent injuries or some they’ve been rehabbing for months.
“I just kind of look, and I’m thinking all the guys we got (and) I can see getting ready to come back,” Snitker said. “... You weather the storm, and then eventually, you’ll get everybody back.”
On Wednesday, Snitker provided updates on several Braves.
Most notably, ace Max Fried is getting close to returning. While Snitker hesitated to say that Fried was one Triple-A rehab start away from rejoining the rotation, he did say that Fried likely will throw five innings during his next outing. He compared it with spring training, but said that they wanted to get through that start before looking ahead.
Snitker expects Michael Soroka to start in Kolby Allard’s spot Friday. Allard was placed on the 60-day IL on Tuesday with left shoulder nerve inflammation.
Snitker said Minter was “feeling good.” Minter was placed on the 15-day IL on Saturday with left shoulder inflammation, but could return in time for next weekend’s series against the Brewers.
While Kyle Wright is close to being able to throw off a mound, Snitker said he was “still a ways away.” He’s been out since May and likely will not return until September.
The Braves did get some good news with Rosario, as he was able to avoid an IL stint. He was back in the starting lineup Wednesday, and Snitker said he was an option Tuesday if he had been needed.
Hilliard expects his right heel contusion injury to be minor. He hopes that he will need only 10 days on the IL and will need rest instead of any major rehab. He was injured Tuesday trying to lunge at the bag for a base hit.
The Braves have the best record in baseball (61-32), despite the injuries. However, they’ve lost three in a row and four of five dating to before the All-Star break.
