The Braves have had quite the scare with their new additions.
Whit Merrifield injured his hand while batting on the field before the team’s first game on Monday at Truist Park.
The Braves signed Merrifield to a major league contract the morning after the news that star second baseman Ozzie Albies would miss eight weeks with a broken wrist.
“It’s not a myth,” Braves manager Brian Snitker said. He spoke to reporters before the match.
However, x-rays of Merrifield showed no fractures. According to The Athletic.
This should have been a huge turn of events, so the Braves will be breathing a sigh of relief.
Merrifield, who was released by the Phillies on July 12, replaced Albies as Atlanta opened a three-game series against the Reds.
“It’s good to have a veteran like him,” Snitker said. “He can play second base, he can run, he can play the outfield, he can play third base. I think he’s a good option just from a versatility standpoint.”
The team acted quickly to sign the utility man after Albies was injured during Sunday’s 6-2 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals.
Prior to the injury, Albies, a three-time All-Star, was batting .258 with a .310 on-base percentage and eight home runs and 46 RBIs in 90 games.
The Phillies signed Merrifield to a one-year, $8 million contract during the offseason.
But in 53 games for the National League East-leading team, the former Royals and Blue Jays player batted just .199 with a plus-63 OPS and -0.3 wins above replacement.
He has three home runs and 11 RBIs this season.
Despite these setbacks, the Braves (54-44) entered the series against the Reds as the National League’s top wild-card team.
Chasing the Phillies (63-36), who were 8.5 games behind entering Monday’s games, for the division title will be tough, especially with Albies out for an extended period, but it’s fair to say the Braves wasted little time adding reinforcements.
