When Travis d’Arnaud tore a thumb ligament in early May, the Braves began a three-month catching carousel that finally stopped Wednesday.
After a rehab stint at Triple-A Gwinnett, the Braves reinstated d’Arnaud from the injured list. The 32-year-old started at catcher and hit seventh in Wednesday’s lineup. It was his first game since May 1 (an 86-game absence). Catcher Kevan Smith was designated for assignment to open a roster spot.
And now the Braves, riddled with injuries throughout their underwhelming season, receive a boost at a critical point. Their silver slugger backstop has returned.
“It’s hard to replace a piece that’s as valuable as Travis has been for us,” manager Brian Snitker said. “It’ll be great to get him back. You look at how long the lineup is now and what he’s brought the last couple years. It’s going to be really valuable to get him back in there.”
Indeed, compensating for d’Arnaud’s loss wasn’t easy. The Braves have shuffled through backstops since May. They’ve used seven catchers this season, a combination that includes youngsters and journeymen. None of them proved inspiring. The position is hitting .180 with a .537 OPS this season. Both marks are the lowest in MLB.
Prospect William Contreras handled the main catching duties until his struggles led to a demotion. Veterans Jeff Mathis and Jonathan Lucroy had brief stays with the team. Alex Jackson appeared in only 10 games, didn’t produce and was injured before the Braves traded him to the Marlins for outfielder Adam Duvall.
Lately, the Braves relied on Stephen Vogt and Smith. They acquired Vogt from the Diamondbacks, and he’s hit .186 in 14 games. Smith, while a respected teammate whose work with pitchers is routinely praised, was a non-factor at the plate, hitting .165 in 91 at-bats. Vogt will serve as d’Arnaud’s backup after the team decided to move on from Smith.
Enter d’Arnaud, who joins the Braves at a pivotal point. This weekend, they begin a three-city trip against three rebuilding teams, the Nationals, Marlins and Orioles. It’s a prime opportunity for the Braves to continue their ascension in the standings. They trailed the first-place Phillies by one game entering Wednesday.
The season started poorly for d’Arnaud, who hit .220 with two homers and 11 RBIs in 23 games before his injury. But the Braves know what he can provide at his best. In 2020, his first year with the team, d’Arnaud had the best season batting of his career, hitting .321/.386/.533 with nine homers and 34 RBIs in 44 games. He primarily hit cleanup for one of the better offenses in Braves history.
D’Arnaud went 4-for-17 on his rehab assignment. He had a walk-off hit Sunday.
“I think he probably feels better (at the plate) than when he started (his rehab),” Snitker said. “In my experience with guys doing rehab assignments, most of the time they don’t get any hits. He had a couple hits the other day. Most of the time on big-league rehabs, guys are concerned with their health, how they feel, making the movements. I think the timing thing will come.”
