Sean Rodriguez could make his Braves debut by the end of July, manager Brian Snitker said Tuesday.
Rodriguez hasn’t played this season because of vehicular crash in January that tore his right rotator cuff and caused other damage to his non-throwing shoulder. Rodriguez is currently on a rehabilitation assignment with the Gulf Coast League Braves.
The Braves initially feared Rodriguez could miss the entire season, but now it appears the veteran utility man could return for the final two months.
“You trust the players in this situation that they know what’s going on,” Snitker said. “They’ve been around, they’ve played. He may come to us in a couple of weeks and say, ‘I’m ready to go.’ At that point, we will reassess. He may need the full rehab schedule.”
The Braves signed Rodriguez in November with the expectation he would open the season as the everyday second baseman. Rodriguez, 32, signed a two-year contract for $11.5 million. He had a career-best offensive season with the Pirates in 2016 with a .270 average, .349 on-base percentage and .510 slugging percentage over 140 games.
After Rodriguez’s injury, the Braves acquired Brandon Phillips in a trade to serve as the regular second baseman. Rodriguez could take over that role if the Braves trade Phillips, who is in the final year of his contract.
Or Rodriguez could boost the bench depth alongside Danny Santana and either Johan Camargo or Lane Adams.
“All of a sudden it’s pretty legit,” Snitker said. “You have versatile players. Sean gives you the experience.”
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