The Atlanta Braves' injury problems worsened on Friday night. In a season where the team has already lost superstars Spencer Strider and Ronald Acuña Jr. for the season, the last thing they needed was to lose another star player.
Unfortunately, on Friday night, after hitting a leadoff single, Michael Harris II was hustling to third after Ozzie Albies hit a hard grounder off the first base bag. The Braves centerfielder made it into third easily, but as he approached the base, he grimaced.
Michael Harris II exits tonight's game after suffering an injury while running the bases. pic.twitter.com/pS9McimEvg
— Bally Sports: Braves (@BravesOnBally) June 14, 2024
After a short conversation with the trainer and the coaching staff, the Braves removed Harris, with J.P. Martinez pinch-running for him.
Braves expected to place Michael Harris II on IL after exiting Friday's game vs. the Rays
The Braves announced shortly after that Michael Harris II exited the game with left hamstring tightness. Not as bad as it could have been but it's still concerning to think Harris could miss significant time, especially when he is just starting to figure things out offensively.
UPDATE: Manager Brian Snitker announced in his post-game interview that Harris will undergo an MRI to see the severity of his hamstring injury. The fact that the team feels he needs to be placed on the IL doesn't feel promising.
However, the team is right to be cautious with their 23-year-old outfielder as they have plenty of options to cover Harris' absence. We will disclose any roster moves the moment they are announced.
Snit says Harris will get an MRI on his hamstring tomorrow but will land on the IL. #Braves
— Kevin McAlpin (@KevinMcAlpin) June 15, 2024
Atlanta has a few options in Triple-A they could turn to. Forrest Wall is currently on the 40-man roster and is slashing .286/.398/.422 with an .820 OPS. Wall has played all three outfield spots this season.
If the Braves wanted to go with a righty to complement J.P. Martinez's bat, the team could add either Eli White or Ramón Laureano to the 40-man roster, who have both played center this year with the Stripers. White is slashing .273/.386/.402 (.788 OPS) while Laureano is slashing .333/.403/.593 (.996 OPS) with Gwinnett. Laureano did have a 31-game stint with the Cleveland Guardians this year and slashed .143/.265/.229 (.494 OPS).
Of course, if Harris's injury requires a significant IL stint, the Braves might be required to be more aggressive with the top talent on this year's trading block.
However, we hope this is not an injury that requires Money Mike to miss much time and that he's back on the field, fully healthy, as soon as possible.