Entering spring training, Atlanta Braves outfielder Eli White looked like a lock for the Opening Day roster. With great speed and solid defense, White offered the Braves flexibility with their bench. He was not, however, supposed to be drawing a lot of at bats.
This changed quickly thanks to Jurickson Profar's second suspension for performance enhancing drugs in as many seasons. Instead of being the Braves X-factor off the bench, there's a good chance the 31-year-old will likely be critical to the team's success, at least until the injured position players return.
Eli White suddenly became a lot more critical to Braves success
Although the Braves are in a good position against right-handed pitching, thanks to Drake Baldwin and Mike Yastrzemski, they are not as strong against left-handed pitching. Without Profar, Yastrzemski could be the de facto option in the lineup against southpaws as long as Ha-Seong Kim and Sean Murphy are out.
Yastrzemski was horrible against lefties last season, slashing .138/.204/.223 with a 22 OPS+. However, with Profar suspended, and Ha-Seong Kim and Sean Murphy out with injuries, the Braves might not have much of an option to play him since Atlanta has no obvious DH option.
Against righties, the Braves at least have Dominic Smith, who has been above-average against righties, but like Yastrzemski, Smith struggles against southpaws. The 30-year old hit .200/.259/.280 slash line and 55 OPS+ against lefties last season.
Unless the Braves add another bat, White has suddenly become the best option to start games against left-handed pitching. With White in the lineup, Atlanta can either move Yastrzemski or Acuña from the outfield to DH, or move Drake Baldwin to DH and give Jonah Heim a start behind the plate.
White, for his part, performed fairly well against lefties last season, finishing the season with a .736 OPS against southpaws. While this isn't exactly outstanding, it would certainly keep the Braves afloat, especially considering how poorly Yastrzemski and Smith have hit lefties over the last few seasons, and how bad the replacement outfielders were for Atlanta last season.
Thankfully for the Braves, it does look like White is out to prove himself again this season. This spring, the outfielder is slashing .375/.412./.500 in 17 plate appearances.
Although the prospect of Eli White becoming an important member of the starting lineup wouldn't excite fans, he could be critical in helping keep the team afloat for the first few months in the wake of Profar's suspension.