Last night, in the 6th inning, Nick Markakis was hit on the wrist by a scorching fastball. It is not looking good for Atlanta. In the postgame interviews, the players, including Markakis himself, were essentially considering the possibility of him returning this season to be a miracle.
"We'll see how it goes. … It doesn't look good, but you never know."
— Nick Markakis will have his wrist looked at Saturday after being hit by a pitch.@Braves | #ChopOn pic.twitter.com/rDmhiBNtin
— FOX Sports: Braves (@FOXSportsBraves) July 27, 2019
"I don't know if the news is going to be good, but we're all hoping for a miracle here."
— Freddie Freeman sums up feeling of #Braves clubhouse after Nick Markakis was hit on the wrist. pic.twitter.com/5B8s9TNmKt
— FOX Sports: Braves (@FOXSportsBraves) July 27, 2019
The medicals are not back yet, but things are looking bleak.
Markakis has been the key veteran presence in the Braves’ locker room for years now, and while he may still be able to offer that, the Braves will be looking to replace his production, which is easier said than done considering his clutch track record with runners in scoring position. It makes you wonder if they will opt to prioritize adding an outfielder on a short-term deal now at the trade deadline, perhaps a Nick Castellanos or Yasiel Puig.
The good news is they just got back Ender Inciarte, and Adam Duvall has been the Pete Alsonso of AAA.
Johan Camargo is filling in for Dansby Swanson for now, but he is an option as well. Hopefully, Dansby will be back soon, and Camargo can man the outfield in the long-term, while Duvall serves as quality depth. They even have Drew Waters and Cristian Pache who may or may not get a taste of the big leagues in September.
Needless to say, there are tons of ways this could play out for the Braves, but they do not exactly have much time to decide what to do. The recent struggles of Austin Riley make the future of the outfield a total crapshoot.
Let’s just pray Nick’s wrist is better than we thought, as unlikely as it may seem.