4 Braves players who won't finish the month of August on the big league roster
These Braves players could find themselves off the 26-man roster as the month of August concludes.
The Atlanta Braves have been in a constant state of a roster shuffle this season as injuries have run rampant. That shuffle was further complicated as Reynaldo Lopez hit the injured list on Monday with right forearm inflammation.
Atlanta’s depth has helped them weather the storm with the many injuries suffered this season. However, there is a light at the end of the tunnel as the Braves have inched closer to having key pieces back.
Michael Harris II is eligible to return from the IL on August 14th and Ozzie Albies is slated for return early September. This leaves the team with important roster questions and will end with a few players being left off the 26-man roster.
Atlanta is desperately awaiting the return of two of their most talented position players as they push for the playoffs over the final two months. They sit 5.5 games behind the first-place Phillies and are clinging to the first spot in a tight NL Wild Card race. With all of that in mind, we will take a look at four Atlanta Braves players who may not make it through August barring any other injuries.
Luke Williams
Infielder Luke Williams has been up and down with the Braves a few times in 2024 but he's not seen a lot of action. He was called up most recently on July 23rd when Austin Riley was placed on the paternity list and stayed with the team upon Riley's return. Since being added to the roster, he's only appeared in two games.
Williams is one of the easiest choices to remove from the roster at the end of the month. He has one MiLB option remaining and isn't an integral piece to the bench. He has a line of .077/.200/.077 over 15 plate appearances. Atlanta's addition of Whit Merrifield makes Williams expendable as well so he could be the first player we see exit the roster this month.
Luke Jackson
Jackson was recently acquired by the Braves in a trade that included 2021 World Series MVP Jorge Soler. He and Soler were sent to Atlanta by the Giants in exchange for LHP Tyler Matzek and 3B prospect Sabin Ceballos. Luke wasn't really needed on the roster but pitching depth is always welcome. His performance to start the season was rough as his 5.08 ERA indicates but July was encouraging and gave the Braves a reason to snag him
Luke Jackson had a 9.31 ERA in 11 June appearances with 6 walks, 2 strikeouts and a 2.172 WHIP in 9 2/3 innings.
— David O'Brien (@DOBrienATL) July 30, 2024
In 8 July appearances, he has a 3.00 ERA with 1 walk, 13 strikeouts and an 0.778 WHIP in 9 innings.
.489 opp. OBP in June, .206 in July#Braves
Luke's statcast profile shows why the team values him with a 51.8% ground ball rate and 32.7% chase rate which are both in the 88th percentile in baseball. He struggled early in his most recent outing for Atlanta as he was the victim of a three-run homer that somehow stayed fair. He persevered and provided 3.2 innings of work with one walk and five strikeouts. However, his other metrics are putrid and could lead the Braves to leave him off the roster if his struggles with inherited runners continue.
Eddie Rosario
Former NLCS hero, Eddie Rosario, returned to Atlanta last month as the team needed outfield help with injuries to Michael Harris II and Ramon Laureano. He wasn't a perfect solution but the team was familiar with his makeup and how he'd fit in the clubhouse. Rosario may see his time with the team cut short once Harris II returns later in August.
The team won't need three left-handed corner outfielders and Kelenic/Harris are much better defenders which makes them more valuable. It's unfortunate as Eddie seems to love being in Atlanta but he's not providing very much offensive or defensive value to the team. Rosario's average sits at .177 with 10 homers and 33 RBI and his OAA is an awful -6. His average exit velocity and squared up percentage are among the tops in baseball but in every stat that matters (chase rate, whiff rate, K%, & BB%) he is underperforming.
EDDIE ROSARIO HITS THE THIRD HOME RUN OF THE DAY FOR THE BRAVES‼️‼️‼️ pic.twitter.com/EtReL0OF7g
— Kevin Keneely (@KevinKeneely1) July 27, 2024
Bryce Elder
Former top Braves prospect Bryce Elder has been a key member of Atlanta's taxi squad in 2024. He's provided the team with spot starts all season and hasn't found consistency since his breakout All-Star season in 2023. He has a 5.67 ERA through nine starts (46 innings) with 15 walks and 40 strikeouts.
He's an easy candidate to remove from the roster by the end of the month since he has three MiLB options left and won't be needed once Reynaldo Lopez returns from the injured list. Elder has excelled with an impressive groundball rate of 50% and his chase percentage is middle of the road but he's struggled metric-wise outside of those two stats. He will remain in a spot-start role for that exact reason.
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