Silly us for thinking that the Atlanta Braves could actually go a couple weeks without some sort of injury. While many of the Braves' injured guys are definitively out for the rest of the season, it was kinda nice to not have anyone of note get put on the injured list lately. While Atlanta did manage to avoid an injury to a key roster piece, their outfield depth did just take a hit.
The Braves claimed Jake Fraley off of waivers from the Reds in the hopes that he could be an good fourth option, particularly against righties. Fraley's playing time has been pretty limited, but he has performed well when he has played and the part-time outfield role has served him well.
Unfortunately, Atlanta is going to have to hope they can survive without him on their bench as the Braves placed Fraley on the injured list with an oblique injury and brought Luke Williams back up to replace him.
The #Braves today selected INF Luke Williams to the major league roster and placed OF Jake Fraley on the 10-day injured list, backdated to September 11, with a strained right oblique muscle.
— Atlanta Braves (@Braves) September 14, 2025
Braves place Jake Fraley on the IL, recall Luke Williams
Atlanta successfully getting Williams through waivers after a recent roster move and putting him back in the minors ended up working out quite well. While Williams doesn't have much in the way of offensive upside like Fraley does, he is a really good pinch-runner and late game defensive replacement.
As for Fraley, it is probably safe to assume that his 2025 season with the Braves is officially over. There are no indications that Fraley's oblique injury is serious per se, but oblique injuries generally don't resolve themselves quickly and with the days on the season calendar winding down fast, there is little incentive for Atlanta to rush Fraley back this season. It is theoretically possible he comes back if he heals up enough and the Braves want to sit someone for the last couple of games, but that feels like a stretch.
In the grand scheme of things, Fraley's injury is a relatively minor disappointment and loss. However, it is also a reminder that the Braves may not be done dealing with the injury bug in 2025 and Atlanta may want to wrap their more important players in bubble wrap the rest of the way.