The Atlanta Braves had an emphatic win over the Blue Jays on Monday evening but they did receive bad news about one of their most dependable bats. Marcell Ozuna has been an absolute force for the Braves over the last couple of years and his presence in the lineup matters a good bit.
With how poorly the Braves' offensive performance has been so far, losing Ozuna for any period of time isn't ideal. Ozuna ran gingerly around the bases during Sunday's series finale in Tampa. The team reported that their designated hitter returned to Atlanta following the Rays series to get imaging done.
Marcell Ozuna injury forces Braves to consider temporary DH options in Toronto
Luckily, the scan results only showed inflammation in Ozuna's hip and he is considered day-to-day.
Braves sent Marcell Ozuna back to Atlanta for an exploratory MRI on his hip. It showed inflammation but nothing serious. He’s day to day.
— Justin Toscano (@JustinCToscano) April 14, 2025
The Braves will have to find a replacement for their DH during this three-game set in Toronto. Bryan De La Cruz took the reins on Monday night and he continued to struggle offensively, going 0-for-4 with one strikeout.
Luckily, it didn't matter much as the Braves slugged their way to an 8-4 victory. Atlanta could have used Drake Baldwin in the DH spot and they still might. He has struggled against lefties so far with a .111 average over nine at-bats.
Former Brave Kevin Gausman will pitch against Spencer Schwellenbach on Tuesday so Baldwin could easily DH. Atlanta could also consider calling up Alex Verdugo, but it's unclear how likely that is to happen at least for the Blue Jays series.
If it were a longer absence from Ozuna, the team would probably need to consider bringing up someone like Verdugo. For now, using De La Cruz or Baldwin in that spot should be good enough to get the job done.
The lineup looked much weaker on paper without Ozuna in the lineup, but the top of Atlanta's lineup stepped up to fill the void on Monday. It's an extremely encouraging sign to see the team capitalize with runners on base after a putrid start to the 2025 season.
Atlanta has yet to win back-to-back games this season and they'll try to change that Tuesday. They need to find a way to get a winning streak going so they can take pressure off themselves. Getting Spencer Strider back Wednesday will be a huge boost and the team expects to hear an update on Ronald Acuna Jr. soon as well.
There's a lot to look forward to but it would be nice to have some winning while we wait for the team to return to full strength.