When the Atlanta Braves first announced that outfielder Lane Thomas was going on the injured list, they didn't reveal how long they believed their only offensive trade deadline acquisition would be out for at first.
However, before Friday's game, the Braves revealed that Thomas could miss at least a month, which would mean he would miss the NL Wild Card Series and the NLDS. This, of course, is a tough pill to swallow for the Braves for the remainder of the season, but it could devastate their bid for the second World Series championship of the decade.
Lane Thomas untimely injury could derail championship runs
Over the next two weeks, the Braves truthfully may not feel Thomas's absence. After their Friday night comeback, the Braves extended their lead in the division to five games, and with them securing the tiebreaker over the Phillies last week, that five game lead is essentially a six game lead with just 14 games to play.
Meanwhile, the Braves still trail the Dodgers for the second seed in the National League by 3.5 games heading into Saturday's action, meaning that unless the Braves go on a hot streak while the Dodgers suddenly cool down, Atlanta is locked into the third seed, meaning they would have to play in the Wild Card Series.
The third Wild Card team, which will certainly either be the Diamondbacks or the Padres, and both of these clubs have excellent left-handed pitching. Having a lefty masher like Lane Thomas on the shelf would be brutal.
It might come as a surprise to Braves fans, but Lane Thomas currently has the best wRC+ against left-handed pitching on the Braves. Outside of Thomas, only Matt Olson, Michael Harris II, Ozzie Albies, and Ronald Acuña Jr. the are only current Braves above the 100 mark, with Olson being the only one above the 110 mark. The Braves have struggled against left-handed pitching all season, the playoffs will certainly challenge them even more.
The Diamondbacks have Eduardo Rodriguez, their All-Star lefty has the sixth-lowest qualified ERA in MLB and would almost certainly be taking the mound in a Game 1. Meanwhile, Brandyn Garcia has been a high-leverage southpaw out of their bullpen, throwing 43.1 innings with a 2.08 ERA and a 2.29 FIP.
Facing the Padres, however, might be an even worse fate for the Braves. Not only does San Diego have Robbie Ray, who would likely start in Game 2 or Game 3 of the Wild Card Series, they have three excellent left-handed relievers in Adrián Morejón, Wandy Peralta, and Yuki Matsui. Their long reliever, Kyle Hart, is also left-handed. With so many lefties out of their bullpen, the Padres would almost certainly be able to expose the hole that Thomas's absence has created.
If the Braves win the WIld Card Series, they look on track to play the Dodgers, who not only have two left-handed aces in Tarik Skubal and Blake Snell, but also three relievers in Alex Vesia, Jack Dreyer, and Tanner Scott. Justin Wrobleski, who was an All-Star this year, is also a southpaw, but his recent struggles currently leave him without a defined role.
The Braves have to hope that their current platoon versus left-handed pitching, with Maurcio Dubón in left field and Ha-Seong Kim at shortstop, steps it up against southpaws very quickly. Otherwise, their opponents will easily be able to exploit the club's current weakness, and hand Atlanta a quick exit from the postseason.
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