Atlanta Braves fans everywhere collectively held their breath as the biggest offseason acquisition jogged off the field with an apparent wrist injury. After a 2024 season with historically bad injury luck, fans had immediate flashbacks to nightmarish injury occurrences from last year.
The initial fear did eventually subdue as each update we were provided on Jurickson Profar was a bit more encouraging. The initial X-Rays came back negative on Profar, and the team diagnosis was that of a jammed left wrist. However, Profar isn't out of the woods yet as he has to undergo a CT Scan to confirm he avoided ligament damage and fractures the X-Ray wouldn't have picked up.
Mark Bowman of mlb.com announced that Profar flew back to Atlanta this morning to get his CT Scan and the team will announce the results of said scan at some point tomorrow. However we got news a bit earlier than that.
Braves remaining optimistic on Profar's injury after scans reveal bone bruise
Multiple important figures around the team have expressed more optimism as we've distanced ourselves from the initial Profar injury. Braves team trainer George Poulis was encouraged by the early tests done on Profar's wrist, and the team believes they have possibly "dodged a bullet." That seems to be backed up by the news that Profar's initial scans revealed a bone bruise.
Fans everywhere are keeping their fingers crossed that Profar's injury is just a bone bruise. Profar was the lone free agent who received the lone major league contract Alex Anthopoulos gave out this winter when he came to Atlanta on a three year $42 million deal. His added on-base skills and switch-hitting prowess makes him a key cog for the 2025 offense. He looked good early on in spring training as well, hitting plenty of baseballs hard and carrying a .375 OBP in his 16 plate appearances.
Atlanta's outfield depth is also something that can't really withstand an Opening Day lineup without Profar. Superstar Ronald Acuna Jr. is already set to miss the beginning of the season as he works his way back from last year's ACL injury. With that in mind the Braves sounded like they planned on platooning Jarred Kelenic and Bryan De La Cruz in right field until Acuna Jr. returned. Luckily
However, if Profar were to miss Opening Day, the Braves would seemingly then need to start both Kelenic and De La Cruz until one of Acuna or Profar returned from injury. That is unless Anthopoulos could find another starting caliber outfielder in mid March. Hopefully it doesn't come to this, and Profar's wrist comes back clean tomorrow. However, until then Braves fans are going to have to sweat out another 24 hours.