For those who have followed the Atlanta Braves recently know just how bad the drop-off was at catcher when Drake Baldwin went on the injured list with an oblique injury. To the shock of no one, the dynamic duo of Sandy Leon and Austin Wynns was a collective black hole in the Braves' lineup, and everyone was just counting the minutes until Baldwin would return. If you needed proof of that, just look at the Braves opting to trade for Joey Bart this week instead of using either player as Baldwin's backup.
Pretty much everyone agreed that Baldwin's injury was mild and that his particular oblique issue would not require as long an IL stint as many other oblique injuries do. However, it was still somewhat surprising that Baldwin was only given one rehab start before activating him on June 16.
Unfortunately, that decision looks pretty rough at the moment as Baldwin has not looked good (almost) at all since returning, although the news may not be as bad as some may think.
Drake Baldwin has looked terrible since his rushed rehab, but the alternative for the Braves may be worse
The idea behind rehab assignments is to help guys build their endurance back up and to get their timing back. No matter how good a player is, it is easy to get out of whack after being out of action for weeks. It is for that exact reason that starters typically get at least a couple starts before they are activated from the IL, and why most position players have to play in around half a dozen games before coming back. Baseball is hard, and the game can feel very fast if you have been out for a while.
Well, the Braves didn't do that. They were confident that one rehab start, combined with the work on the side that Baldwin had been doing, would be enough for him to hit the ground running. Sadly, other than a mammoth home run in his first plate appearance back, Baldwin has done anything except hit the ground running. In Baldwin's three games since returning from the injured list, he has gone 2-14 with seven strikeouts. Not exactly what we were accustomed to seeing out of Baldwin at this point.
Importantly, this IS just three games, and the circumstances have been uniquely difficult. The weather caused havoc on the Braves over the last week, and it would not be shocking at all to see Baldwin break out of this mini-slump very soon. In addition, given just how terrible Braves catchers were playing while Baldwin was out, even this version of the reigning NL Rookie of the Year is better than what Atlanta had been getting. The situation is definitely not ideal, but it may also be the best option for the Braves at the moment.