Whit Merrifield's absurd immediate injury could save Braves from unnecessary roster friction

The Braves announced a flurry of roster moves on Monday as they added veteran utility man and former All-Star Whit Merrifield on an MLB contract. Atlanta also called up Nacho Alvarez Jr. who is one of the team's top prospects.

Despite Alvarez not having any MLB experience, the Braves gave him the starting job over the veteran who has struggled in 2024. Nacho is fast on the bases and has great OBP numbers and Atlanta decided that was good enough to have him bat second in the lineup for his debut.

This leaves Merrifield in his familiar utility role as he played second base, third base, and left field for the Phillies over 53 games this season. His slash line of .199/.277/.295 explains why he should be a bench piece and nothing more.

If the team needs to depend on Whit Merrifield daily, something has gone horribly wrong for the Braves. He has the experience but he is no longer the player he once was. His addition created a bit of a roster headache that feels a bit unnecessary.

Braves News: Whit Merrifield's absurd and immediate injury could save Braves from unnecessary roster friction

As if the Braves season couldn't get any more frustrating, Merrifield immediately injured his throwing hand while doing some warmups on the infield. Atlanta's medical staff evaluated him and Brian Snitker stated in his pre-game press conference, "Can't make it up."

Atlanta has suffered injury after injury with no end in sight. The season has started to feel a bit snake-bitten. Hopefully, there's nothing wrong with Merrifield and he can remain a good bench option for the Braves.

If he is indeed okay, he presents a bit of roster friction for the team that feels unnecessary. Let's explore why that's the case.

UPDATE: Merrifield is considered day-to-day with no fracture

Zack Short could easily do as good of if not a better job than Merrifield as he filled in daily this year when Austin Riley was injured. Eli White was sent back to Triple-A Gwinnett and Forrest Wall was designated for assignment to make room for Merrifield on the roster. They had been acceptable bench options that provided the team with exactly what they needed.

Merrifield could have a case for splitting time with Orlando Arcia if he continues to struggle at the plate. Arcia currently has a 60 OPS+ which is awful but his defense has saved him from being kicked to the curb or relegated to the bench. Merrifield's OPS+ is only slightly better at 63.

Believe it or not, the 35-year-old utility man has a higher on-base percentage than Arcia. Merrifield's OBP sits at .277 while Orlando's sits at .246 this season. Arcia has him beat in slugging percentage (.331 to .295) but their OPS is similar as well with the Braves shortstop posting a .578 OPS versus Whit's .572 OPS.

They are practically the same player if you take out the defense. Defensively, Arica is much better with an OAA of 2 while Merrifield has a -4 OAA. Whit does have Arcia beat in the sprint speed department, however. According to Baseball Savant, Arcia's sprint speed is in the 13th percentile while Merrifield is in the 92nd percentile of the league.

That is not something fans should expect to happen as far as a position battle but it's highly plausible. If Merrifield somehow figures out his offensive woes, he could easily make a case for himself being in the lineup more often. However, we will have to wait and see.

Lastly, there is the case of the trade deadline which is rapidly approaching. That roster spot could go to a better-suited option. At the end of the day, Merrifield is just a placeholder in the event Alvarez is overwhelmed by the MLB experience.

The Braves will need to add a pitcher or two at the deadline and possibly an infielder if Nacho and Whit are unable to get the job done. So, this move adds the depth Atlanta needs currently but it could all change in a couple of weeks.

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