Atlanta Braves fans have unfortunately become too familiar with players suffering injuries. 2024 felt like an eternity because of the rampant injuries throughout the season.
Well, it only took about a week for the first injury to be reported during spring training. After his first at-bat, Nacho Alvarez Jr. had to exit Friday's game versus the Marlins. He felt discomfort in his left wrist and was visibly in pain after swinging at strike three.
Wrist injuries can cause players to miss significant amount of time. The Braves experienced this with Ozzie Albies last season which coincidentally allowed Alvarez to make his MLB debut last year. There were no reports on the severity of the injury until today.
Braves breathe a sigh of relief after Nacho Alvarez Jr. injury update
Luckily, Braves insider Mark Bowman reported that Alvarez's wrist feels better and that he could return to playing in games in the next few days. He has only appeared in three games this spring and is 0-for-6 with one walk and two strikeouts.
While Alvarez likely won't make the Opening Day roster, the Braves don't want him to lose any development because of an injury. He may have struggled in his eight appearances with Atlanta last season with just three hits and a .100 average, but they certainly need him as a depth option.
Alvarez still has a lot of potential as he batted .284 over 112 games with Mississippi and Gwinnett at the minor league level. He will need to make some serious adjustments if he's going to succeed at the next level. The infielder will also need to find a spot to play as Albies should be the everyday second baseman unless something goes horribly wrong.
He is still young and has plenty of time to develop into a great piece for the Braves. It's comforting to know the wrist injury wasn't severe enough to sideline him for a prolonged amount of time.