Unfortunately, injuries are always going to be a part of baseball and the Atlanta Braves are acutely aware of that. As pitchers prioritize max velocity and high spin and hitters adjust to being able to handle that arms race, the laws of physics are going to take a toll on players' bodies and that doesn't even account for the fluke injuries that happen in every sport. However, the Braves' injury issues still stand out and one wonders how much the training and/or medical staff is to blame.
After the debacle that was the injury riddled 2024 season, fans were hopeful that last season was just a fluke and Atlanta would go right back to dominating once again. However, now the Braves have several really important players that are injured right now and the focus now should be on how Atlanta does things and keeps guys healthy (or doesn't keep them healthy in this case).
Braves training and medical staff needs to be held accountable at some point for Atlanta's injury issues
Now, we know that fluke things happen and the training staff shouldn't be to blame there. Sometimes a pitch finds a small bone it can break and sometimes that bone belongs to Austin Riley or Ozzie Albies or whoever. Very little can be done to prevent that sort of thing happening outside of armoring hitters up and hoping it doesn't get in the way of swinging.
However, there are enough red flags to at least warrant asking some tough questions about the Braves' injury management protocols and return to play procedures. AJ Smith-Shawver's elbow injury isn't on Snitker in terms of how that specific game was managed, but was AJSS being monitored appropriately and having his workload managed the way it should have as a guy that didn't focus on pitching much growing up?
Reynaldo Lopez just had shoulder surgery after being converted from relief, but how much did the Braves know about his health after some injury and fatigue issues late last season? Even right now, Marcell Ozuna is seemingly playing with a tear in his hip. Why is that even being entertained given Ozuna's importance, let alone being done?! Sean Murphy, Albies, Michael Harris II, and more have all had soft tissue injuries in recent years. Could any of them been prevented?
Again, if it was an isolated case or two, the Braves' staff would probably be exonerated and those could be chalked up to the randomness of baseball. However, Atlanta's injury issues certainly don't look random anymore and it is time to start actually holding the Braves' training staff accountable and at least demand some real answers.