Three Options for the Atlanta Braves to replace Marcell Ozuna
Marcell Ozuna suffered what appeared to be a nasty looking hand injury against the Boston Red Sox. If he misses time, how do the Braves replace The Big Bear?
For anyone that was watching the Atlanta Braves game against the Red Sox on Tuesday evening, they would have witnessed Marcell Ozuna injure his hand while sliding into third. His hand hit the cleat of Red Sox third baseman, Rafael Devers, and it did not look pretty.
Snitker says Ozuna dislocated his ring and middle fingers of his left hand. He'll return to Atlanta for further evaluation.
— Mark Bowman (@mlbbowman) May 26, 2021
While we may not get an update on the timeline until Thursday, a lot of Braves fans have begun to wonder who the replacement for Ozuna will be.
The Braves will most likely be a man short for the final game against the Red Sox, but with the game being played in Boston, and the DH in play, they can get away with a shorter bench for one game.
However, the talk over the next few days will be who Ozuna’s replacement could be going forward.
Here are three internal options the Atlanta Braves could turn to, to replace Marcell Ozuna.
Johan Camargo
I know Johan Camargo is not the most popular suggestion, but in my opinion, this is probably the likeliest option.
If Ozuna were to hit the IL for a few weeks, the Braves could look to fill left field with Ehire Adrianza and Guillermo Heredia (when Ender Inciarte is playing center field). Camargo would fill Adrianza’s spot on the bench in this scenario with his ability to play multiple positions in the field.
Camargo has also been playing well in Gwinnett with a 1.037 OPS, and he was the man called upon when Inciarte hit the paternity list.
Camargo is a divisive player in Braves country, but there is a possibility he is the one that fills the gap on the roster with the Ozuna injury.
https://twitter.com/FarmToFame_/status/1395792955676450819?s=20
Drew Waters
This is where it gets interesting. Drew Waters is currently the Braves 2nd ranked prospect and he is making waves in Gwinnett which has led to some fans asking when we will see the heralded outfield prospect.
With the starting left fielder going down, it does open a spot in the outfield.
Drew Waters hits his second of the day, one from both sides of the plate. pic.twitter.com/8Ams9hGi38
— Gwinnett Stripers (@GoStripers) May 19, 2021
If Waters comes up, it would be to take the left field position and keep Adrianza in his current role, unlike the other two options previously mentioned. If Waters is the one who gets the call, he should be in an everyday role, something this injury would be opening up.
The main roadblock is Waters not currently being on the 40-man roster, meaning the Braves would need to make room. The obvious move that could signal Waters arrival would be Ozuna going on the 60 day IL as that opens up a 40 man spot.
The Braves could also DFA someone and open up a roster spot that way, but if the Ozuna injury is not long term, then it may not make sense to make that move at this moment. If Ozuna’s injury is not serious, and he could come back relatively quickly, then it probably makes sense to leave Waters in AAA and allow him to continue his development.
While Waters would be exciting news, the Braves may not want to rush his development.
Orlando Arcia
Here is a popular suggestion from Braves country on social media. Fans have been clamoring for Orlando Arcia since the Braves traded for him and it has only gotten louder with some of the videos that are coming out of Gwinnett.
Arcia currently has a 1.100 OPS in Gwinnett and had been making a strong case for a call-up even before the Ozuna injury.
https://twitter.com/FarmToFame_/status/1395792955676450819?s=20
Arcia could play outfield in a pinch but would probably fall in a similar boat as Camargo as the Adrianza replacement on the bench. Arcia could bounce around multiple defensive positions to give the regulars a break and be an important bat late in games.
There is some speculation that the Braves are holding Arcia down to manipulate his service time and gain an extra year of control. That remains to be seen, but if that were the case, it would make it more unlikely that Arcia is the one that gets the call-up.
Get Well Soon Ozuna
Hopefully, we get good news on Ozuna and he will not miss an extended period of time. However, if he does miss a small amount of time, I think we see Adrianza or Heredia fill in for him out in left field, while Camargo or Arcia takes on a bench role.
Travis Demeritte or Abraham Almonte were interesting options I also considered, but they are not currently on the 40-man roster. In my opinion, they would be next in line behind the three mentioned in the previous sections.
Next. Tough Road Ahead. dark
Maybe Ozuna’s injury is not as serious as it originally appeared, and The Big Bear is back in the middle of the lineup soon. However, it does appear that the Braves are going to need someone to step up in his absence.