The Atlanta Braves were dealt a brutal blow on Sunday. Just hours after losing Max Fried to the IL, Ozzie Albies left Sunday after awkwardly trying to receive a throw on a stolen base attempt in the ninth. The club quickly announced that the 27-year-old has a fractured wrist and will miss the next eight weeks.
As the injuries mount up, the Braves are tasked once again with finding a fill-in for one of their star players. What should fans expect by the new replacement, Nacho Alvarez Jr?
What Ozzie Albies injury means to the Braves
While Ozzie Albies hasn't had the season we expected from the 27-year-old coming into the season, he still has been decent for the Braves. He came into Sunday's game with a respectable 1.1 fWAR and a 98 wRC+. Now, the Braves lose yet another star of the team further weakening an already disappointing lineup.
The Braves are expected to call up their top positional prospect, Nacho Alvarez Jr., from Gwinnett to replace Albies. Alvarez, a 21-year-old shortstop who was the Braves fifth-round pick in 2022, has never played a professional inning at second base, but, according to Mark Bowman of MLB.com the team believes he has the athleticism to make a quick adjustment to the position.
The Braves are expected to bring Nacho Alvarez up to replace Ozzie Albies (left wrist) tomorrow. Alvarez has primarily played short, but his athleticism and instincts should allow him to make a quick transition to the second base position
— Mark Bowman (@mlbbowman) July 21, 2024
Alvarez has .295/.398/.420 this year with Mississippi and Gwinnett.The infielder has great contact skills and a great plate approach, but the biggest question mark is his power. He had no home runs with Mississippi in 48 games, but has seven bombs in 27 games with the Stripers.
The California native has also shown savvy base-stealing skills, as he's gone 21 for 24 in stolen base opportunities this season.
Braves fans should be cautiously optimistic for the arrival of Nacho. While he's performed well in Gwinnett, his lack of power might be exploited at the major league level. However, if he's able to maintain the power stroke he's discovered in Gwinnett, while maintaining his elite knowledge of the strike zone, the Braves could have a secret weapon on their hands.