The Atlanta Braves have suffered a lot of injuries in the pitching department this season but they did receive good updates for two of their pitching options on Monday. There was also an update provided on an important part of the infield.
Jesse Chavez throws batting practice
Jesse Chavez apparently threw a live batting practice session and it went well according to Justin Toscano of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Apparently, his recovery has taken a bit longer because once the swelling went down in the injured shin, it uncovered another microfracture.
That explains why he hasn't been able to work his way back faster and it helped Chavez feel less discouraged because he expected to recover more quickly.
Jesse Chavez described it as if learning he had a microfracture was freeing. It explained a lot, as his recovery had taken longer than he would’ve hoped.
— Justin Toscano (@JustinCToscano) August 21, 2023
All is well.
The final step: Running at full speed so he can prove he can field the position. https://t.co/imyjv2V1os
He will throw another live batting practice before heading off on a rehab assignment. No timetable has been announced but I'd say sometime in September is most likely when fans could see Chavez on the mound again in Atlanta.
Kyle Wright to make first rehab start with Rome
In other news, Kyle Wright will be making a rehab start on Thursday for High-A Rome. This is very encouraging news as the Braves could use some help solidifying the back end of their starting rotation.
Grant McAuley revealed that Wright had been working at the Braves Spring Training facility the last couple of weeks to get himself prepared for a rehab assignment.
Kyle Wright will begin a rehab assignment with Rome on Thursday. He had been working at the #Braves ST complex over the last couple of weeks.
— Grant McAuley (@grantmcauley) August 21, 2023
It's unclear how many starts the Braves will want Wright to make before he returns to the rotation but I imagine they'll want to treat him very carefully since he is returning from a shoulder injury. Max Fried made 4 rehab starts before returning so we could use that as a base for Wright's return.
Assuming he doesn't run into any issues, that could put Wright back in an Atlanta uniform around mid-September at the earliest. Whether Wright will be sharp when he first comes back remains to be seen, obviously.
However, when Wright is at his best, he's one of the best pitchers in all of baseball. He will certainly be a sight for sore eyes.
Ozzie Albies could return to team soon
Fans also received an update on infielder Ozzie Albies who went down with a hamstring strain last week. He was able to complete a lot of activities on the field on August 13th, just a few days after the injury.
He's eligible to be activated off of the IL before the Braves face off with the Giants in San Francisco on Friday.
Ozzie Albies is eligible to be activated before Friday's game in San Franciso. Snit doesn't anticipate Albies will play in a rehab game before being activated. He was able to complete a lot of activities just a few days after tweaking his hamstring on Aug. 13
— Mark Bowman (@mlbbowman) August 21, 2023
According to Mark Bowman of MLB.com, manager Brian Snitker does not believe Albies is going to need a rehab assignment before being added back to the big league lineup. Though, they have no reason to rush him back either as Nicky Lopez and Vaughn Grissom provide decent backup options for Atlanta in his absence.
He will be happily welcomed back to the lineup when he is ready though because he's been great batting second for the Braves. We will provide updates as they become available.