After a start to the season that saw injuries to key members of the roster, the Braves look to potentially be getting back one of their stars, but in return will outright a player that filled in admirably.
The #Braves today outrighted INF David Fletcher to Triple-A Gwinnett.
— Atlanta Braves (@Braves) April 25, 2024
The Braves have announced that veteran utility infielder David Fletcher will be outrighted to Triple-A Gwinnett. Whether David accepts the assignment or looks to be released to find another team, remains to be seen but at this moment he will join a rather packed Gwinnett Stripers roster. David earned the right to refuse an assignment because he accrued 5 years of service time, or more precisely, 172 games on a Major League roster.
David Fletcher's ability to play all four infield positions is vital for Braves
Losing David will mean losing a player who has the unique ability to play all four, non-catching, infield positions. A career .276/.323/.358 player with the bat, David provides a little more with the bat than you expect from a utility infielder making him quite valuable. With the Braves, David appeared in five games, hitting .250/.222/.250, but one of his two hits was a very valuable RBI single.
1st hit, 1st RBI for David Fletcher as a Brave!#BravesCountry pic.twitter.com/nT62azLwdD
— Atlanta Braves (@Braves) April 23, 2024
It is expected by most that the reasoning behind the move is the potential return to baseball for Ozzie Albies. Albies got off to a red-hot start this year hitting .317/.486/.492 in the number two spot behind Ronald, before he fractured his big right toe back on April 16th. He missed nine days of the season and is eligible to return tomorrow which is why many believe this is just part one of two.
Baseball's two best teams meet this weekend as Braves host Guardians
The Guardians' .708 winning percentage is second to just the Braves (.739) in all of baseball so being able to return a bat of Ozzie's ability is a huge boost for a team that is already third in runs scored (despite having played three games fewer than the Diamondbacks and Dodgers). The Guardians have boasted strong pitching and an offense that has scored the seventh-most runs in baseball. So, once again, returning a bat of Ozzie's ability is not just massively beneficial, but also timely.