Braves Update Status of Several Injured Players

The Atlanta Braves have been decimated by injuries this season.

Losing last year's reigning MVP in Ronald Acuña Jr and the league's strikeout leader in Spencer Strider is tough enough to overcome, but the team's injuries weren't limited to just that pair. For the rotation, Max Fried's missed time with left elbow neuritis, while several relievers have missed time due to a variety of ailments. From the position player group, several have missed time, with Ozzie Albies on his second injured list stint of the season, this time for a broken wrist.

But manager Brian Snitker gave positive updates about two key members of the roster, outfielder Michael Harris II and starter Reynaldo López.

Updating the previous announcement of a rehabilitation stint for Harris , Snitker explained the timing and the plan for the outfielder. Originally sent to Florida to face live pitching at the team's North Port facility, the landfall of Hurricane Debby earlier this week forced the outfielder back to Atlanta for Plan B -  joining the Gwinnett Stripers on their road trip to Tennessee this week to take on the Memphis Redbirds.

Snitker explained that Harris is expected to start off as the designated hitter for the first two to three games before adding outfield duties to his plate. If everything goes well with defensive work for Harris, the expectation is that he'll rejoin the team during their three-city road trip that starts at the end of this week. With the earliest eligible date for activation being August 14th, he'd miss the series opening series at Colorado against the Rockies but could rejoin the team for the final two games against the San Francisco Giants and then travel to Los Angeles to take on the Angels next weekend.

Reynaldo López resumes throwing

Justin Toscano of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported that Reynaldo López sidelined for over a week with "forearm tightness" but not placed on the injured list until yesterday , has started physical activity by playing catch today.

Leaving his start two Sundays ago with the issue, López has yet to throw a bullpen or throw in a competitive manner, but beginning to throw at all indicates that the issue is largely past him and now it's a matter of increasing the activity while looking out for any sort of lingering discomfort.

López, who is converting back to starting after multiple seasons of relief and has already exceeded his innings from 2023 by almost 40 innings, isn't qualified on league leaderboards but still paces MLB in ERA. His 2.06 across his nineteen starts is the lowest of any starting pitcher with 100 or more innings in 2024. Not being eligible to return until August 17th at the earliest means that López can reasonably be expected to miss a total of around four starts, potentially saving 25 to 30 innings off of his final season tally.

Spencer Strider removes elbow brace after surgery

Braves starter Spencer Strider, who was done for the season after only two starts with elbow surgery, has finally shed the bulky brace that he was required to wear over his twice-repaired right elbow.

While Strider hasn't formally met with the media since soon after his surgery, he was recently featured in a promotional video for his signature ballpark giveaway, taking place on Wednesday: Vinyl Night. In the video, where he takes members of the three Atlanta-area bands that will be on vinyl records distributed to fans on Wednesday night on a tour of Truist Park, he can be seen without the bulky appliance he's worn on his right elbow since having his surgery early this season.

Strider is expected to make his return to the rotation somewhere around the start of the 2025 season, although it's unknown what condition or effectiveness he'll be in at that time. Wit the pending free agency of both Max Fried and Charlie Morton, there are questions about Atlanta's rotation options entering 2025 behind the trio of Chris Sale, Reynaldo López, and Spencer Schwellenbach. It is unknown whether Atlanta will either re-sign Fried or Morton (if the latter chooses not to retire) or pursue another starter in free agency, as the farm system does have several pitchers that figure to factor into the team's 2025 plans in Ian Anderson, AJ Smith-Shawver, Bryce Elder, Huascar Ynoa, and Hurston Waldrep.