ATLANTA– In sports, there is a mantra that everyone falls back on when inevitable injuries occur.
It’s the next man’s turn.
Just a problem for the Atlanta Braves.
“We’re having a hard time finding the next guy,” groaned manager Brian Snitker.
A relentless series of breaks, cracks and strains has forced the six-time reigning NL champions to desperately cobble together a lineup that seriously jeopardizes their hopes of making it back to the postseason.
“We’re going through a really strange time right now,” All-Star pitcher Reynaldo López said through an interpreter. “It just feels like as soon as someone comes off the injured list, someone else gets on it. Then someone else comes out and someone else comes in. It’s just really strange, but there’s nothing we can do.”
Power-hitting third baseman Austin Riley was the latest to go down, his year in jeopardy after being hit by a 97-mph fastball. He will need six to eight weeks to recover from a fractured right hand that will keep him out of action for at least the rest of the regular season.
He is hardly the first to suffer such a fate:
— NL MVP Ronald Acuña Jr. suffered a season-ending knee injury in late May, one year after becoming the first 40-70 (40 home runs, 70 stolen bases) player in major league history.
– Top pitcher Spencer Strider, who set a franchise record for strikeouts in 2023, made just two starts this season before a torn elbow ligament ended his season.
— Second baseman Ozzie Albies has been out of action since July 21 after breaking his left wrist while catching a throw on a stolen base. If his recovery goes well, he may be able to return for the final days of the regular season.
– Centerfielder Michael Harris II missed two months with a left thigh injury.
— Key reliever AJ Minter is out for the remainder of the season after undergoing surgery for a lingering hip ailment.
– Catcher Sean Murphy, an All-Star in 2023, was sidelined nearly two months after straining his left oblique muscle during an opening-day at-bat.
– Max Fried, another key member of the rotation, spent more than three weeks on the injured list due to nerve inflammation in his left forearm.
— Outfielder Jorge Soler, who was signed before the trade deadline to help alleviate the injury crisis, did not start last week due to thigh soreness.
Add Riley to the list now.
“The guys we lose, you can’t just replace them,” Snitker said. “You have to hope you can keep fighting and keep your head above water until you get them back. Unfortunately, we’re not going to get a lot of those guys back.”
To kick off a crucial three-game series against the first-place Philadelphia Phillies, the Braves fielded a lineup that included three players who had been cut from other teams’ rosters this season.
Whit Merrifield, released by the Phillies in July, started at second base. Ramón Laureano, released by the Cleveland Guardians in May, held right field. Gio Urshela got the nod at third base, just two days after being released by the Detroit Tigers.
All three contributed to a 3-1 victory, no doubt using their blocks as motivation. Merrifield hit a triple, a double and scored Atlanta’s first run. Urshela walked the bases loaded in the eighth inning to score another run. Laureano caught two balls in the ninth inning to secure the win.
“You just play your best every night and a lot of times it’s not your night,” Merrifield said. “But to step up and play well against a team that told you you weren’t good enough to play for them is a good feeling. I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t.”
In a twist in the injury story, López threw five strong innings with 10 strikeouts in his first appearance in more than three weeks on Tuesday night while on the injured list with a strained right forearm.
The Braves will continue to rely on the support of reliable players like López and unexpected sources like Merrifield if they are to have any chance of making the playoffs, let alone achieving the improbable goal of stealing the Phillies’ seventh consecutive division title.
“That would be incredible,” reliever Pierce Johnson said. “If we can do that, it’s a real testament to the character in this room. Even if we don’t do that, everyone has battled all year and I’m proud of each and every one of those guys for being there every single day. But look, we’re giving it our all. We’re not going to let up.”
Fortunately for the Braves, designated hitter Marcell Ozuna was the only constant in a season full of uncertainty.
Entering Wednesday, he led the league in both average (.309) and RBIs (94) and ranked second with 37 home runs, two home runs behind Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Dodgers, giving Ozuna a very realistic chance to become the first NL player since Joe Medwick in 1937 to capture the hallowed Triple Crown.
“He was an absolute godsend for our team,” López said before recalling what this team has been through.
The thrower tapped the table in front of him several times.
“I mean, toi …
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