It’s been another successful April for the Atlanta Braves. However, the team now faces life without one of its talisman for an extended period.
The National League East frontrunners lost one of the team’s traditional leaders for an indefinite timeframe and will now call on a former division rival to fill the gap.
Ozzie Albies, one of the top second basemen in MLB, suffered a fractured right big toe in Monday’s game and was placed on the 10-day injured list Tuesday. The eight-year veteran and two-time Silver Slugger could be out for several weeks with the injury.
First up to replace him in the Atlanta Braves lineup is infielder Luis Guillorme, who came to the team after six years with the New York Mets.
Albies was off to a Sensational Start for the Atlanta Braves
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Albies was off to a roaring start through his first 15 games this season. The three-time All-Star was hitting .317 with two home runs, five doubles, and 14 RBIs through Monday.
However, that all came to an end in Monday night’s game at the Houston Astros. Albies was hit in the foot on an offering from Houston pitcher Spencer Arrighetti, making his second MLB start, plunked Albies on the foot in top of the second inning. The HBP was unintentional, coming on an 88-mph curveball with the bases loaded of a 1-1 game.
The play forced in the eventual winning run as the Atlanta Braves topped their hosts 6-1. Albies played the entire game, going 1-for-3 with a run scored to go with his painful RBI.
However, following a diagnosis of the fractured toe, the team made the call to place Albies on the IL. The contract of infielder David Fletcher was selected from Triple-A Gwinnett to replace Albies on the roster.
Injury Brings Memories of One Suffered by Atlanta Braves Star in 2022
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The injury suffered by Albies was reminiscent of one that kept him from all but 64 games in 2022. That season, Albies went down in a heap after making a defensive swing on a pitch in a game against the Washington Nationals. The ball did not hit him, but later it was determined that Albies fractured his left foot on the play. He went on the 60-day IL and did not return until mid-September.
However, the malady suffered Monday is not believed to be as serious as that one, which required a surgical procedure to correct.
For his career, Albies is a .273 hitter with 133 homers, 469 RBIs, and 511 runs scored in 787 games — all with the Atlanta Braves.
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Tom Carothers is a sportswriter with more than 20 years of experience covering sports at the high school, collegiate, and professional levels. Still longing for the return of his Minnesota North Stars, he has a high pain tolerance as a big fan of the Chicago Cubs, Cleveland Browns, and Tottenham Hotspur.
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