DENVER – At hitter-friendly Coors Field, the Braves’ lineup will receive an injection of talent.
The Braves on Monday activated Ozzie Albies, who missed 12 games while on the injured list with a strained left hamstring. Albies will resume his duties as the starting second baseman
“I’m feeling excited and happy to be back,” Albies said before Monday’s series opener against the Rockies.
They also recalled right-hander Darius Vines, who could make his MLB debut this week. Vines will be in the bullpen for Monday and Tuesday, and is a candidate to start Wednesday.
The Braves optioned Vaughn Grissom and Jared Shuster.
Asked when he felt 100%, Albies said: “I think right before we left home, I did some running and felt good. And then I felt better in San Fran before we got here.”
Albies and the Braves waited a couple days after he felt well, just to be sure. The final tests involved running the bases, sliding and defensive work with infield coach Ron Washington.
In Albies’ absence, the Braves got a look at Nicky Lopez, for whom they traded at the deadline. He went 9-for-30 with five RBIs in Albies’ absence. He also looked good defensively.
But Ozzie Albies is Ozzie Albies. He has 28 home runs and 90 RBIs. He might be baseball’s top offensive second baseman. He’s certainly in that conversation.
He is yet another terrific bat in a stellar lineup. The Braves are stacked, and Albies is a big part of their success – offensively, defensively and in the clubhouse.
The Braves were smart to be safe with his hamstring. They entered Monday with a 12.5-game lead in the NL East. They are basically penciled into the postseason, and at this point, they are almost guaranteed to win a sixth straight division crown.
Might Albies have played through it if necessary?
“Yeah, probably,” he said. “But it’s a risk that it would (become a bigger injury), so I won’t say much about that.”
With Albies out, Michael Harris II proved he could handle batting second. He certainly won’t be the No. 9 hitter for his entire career – he is far too good – and the last week proved to be a nice showcase. In his last 11 games – he hit second in 10 of them – Harris tallied three doubles, one triple and one homer.
Braves manager Brian Snitker inserted Albies back into the second spot in the lineup, as he said he would, for Monday’s game. Harris was in the nine-hole.
The Braves recalled Vines on Monday so he could provide bullpen depth if necessary. Michael Tonkin can give the Braves length, but he pitched on Sunday. So, too, did Collin McHugh, another multi-inning option. Thus, the Braves needed to cover themselves for Monday, which is why they made this move now.
But they have a rotation vacancy on Wednesday, and Vines could fill it if he’s not used before then. He might be one of several candidates, as the Braves haven’t announced their plans for that game yet. However, Vines put himself on the radar by posting a 2.70 ERA over 43-1/3 innings between three minor-league levels before Atlanta called him up.
Vines’ season was delayed because of right shoulder inflammation. He didn’t make his 2023 debut until July 7, when he pitched for the rookie-level Braves. Then he made two starts for Rome as he continued what was effectively a minor-league rehab assignment. His success continued with a 2.86 ERA across five starts for Triple-A Gwinnett, which put him in line for this opportunity.
“I think it might’ve been the COVID year or whatever, when we were doing a lot of the (intrasquad scrimmages) and everything, and he was there and I got to sit there on the chair (next to) him,” Snitker said. “He’s a nice young man. I enjoyed visiting with him. He had a little rough start with some injuries, but he’s been throwing the ball really well. Loved his stuff in spring training. …It looked like he had a lot of pitch-ability. We’ll give him a shot here.”
Grissom could eventually be back with Atlanta, but it seems wiser to let him play every day in the final weeks of the minor-league season. When Albies was on the injured list, Grissom received two starts, both against left-handed starting pitchers. In his two weeks with the big club, he went 3-for-10 with a double, a triple and two RBIs.
The Braves are excited to get Albies back.
“He’s one of those guys that loves to play baseball, so I’m glad for him that we got him back ready, and we’ll turn him loose again,” Snitker said.
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