Jorge Soler to Avoid Injured List; Expected to Return This Weekend

The Atlanta Braves may finally be getting some injury luck.

After multiple long-term injuries to key contributors have tested the team's depth, with such stars as Ronald Acuña Jr (ACL tear) and Spencer Strider (elbow surgery) out for the year and Ozzie Albies (broken wrist), Sean Murphy (oblique) and Michael Harris II (hamstring) all missing multiple months.

But outfielder Jorge Soler's hamstring, which forced him to leave Wednesday's blowout for precautionary reasons with "tightness", isn't expected to be a long-term issue or require an injured list stint.

Manager Brian Snitker delivered the good news after Thursday's series finale: "Just a mild strain. We'll treat him up, day to day and see where he's at."

Soler, through an interperter, explained that it felt "much better" today and while he wouldn't play tomorrow, he was hopeful to be in the lineup sometime this weekend.

Atlanta's heading to Los Angeles to play the Angels for three games, starting tomorrow night.

Soler, who was acquired at the 2024 trade deadline for his second stint on the team, has been almost as productive this time around as when he was acquired in 2021. After a few games to re-acclimate to playing the outfield, where he hasn't suited up since starting 32 games there last season for the Miami Marlins, Soler's started both taking walks and hitting for power. Despite the initial struggles with getting in the hit column, he's been reaching base at a .400 clip, getting on in all but one of the thirteen games he's played for the team since the trade.

In his last eight games, Soler's batted .357 with a 1.343 OPS, collecting ten hits (four homers) and driving in ten from the leadoff spot in the order. Fresh off of a four homer series against the Colorado Rockies, he was 0-1 with a run scored when he was forced to leave Wednesday's game after attempting to beat out an infield grounder in the 4th inning. Jarred Kelenic went in the game for him, playing left field and hitting 1st, and went 1-3 with a 2 RBI double.

On Thursday in the series finale, Atlanta elected to flank newly-activated Michael Harris II in centerfield with Kelenic in left and Ramón Laureano in right and that is the likely outfield configuration for Friday night against the Angels. Adam Duvall, whose is batting just .178 but saw his roster spot was spared when Eli White was optioned to Triple-A Gwinnett for Harris' activation, has not appeared in a game since starting in right field for the Monday series opener.