Tied for the third and final spot in the NL Wild Card race, it’s put-up or shut-up time for the Atlanta Braves, who continue to struggle offensively. A few guys outside of Marcell Ozuna and Matt Olson must step up more consistently if the Braves want to avoid missing the postseason for the first time since 2017.
Michael Harris II, Jorge Soler, and Atlanta’s catching duo are the most likely candidates on the active roster, but getting back their All-Star second baseman in Ozzie Albies might also be what does the trick. Albies suffered a fractured wrist over a month ago, and the initial hope was that he could potentially return around the middle of September. He has begun swinging the bat from both sides; however, the right side is feeling much more comfortable than the left.
Ozzie Albies’ left-handed swing doesn’t feel great right now, Brian Snitker said. He’s doing well with the right-handed one.
— Justin Toscano (@JustinCToscano) September 6, 2024
On the bright side, at least Ozzie Albies is feeling comfortable from one side of the plate, and that happens to be the side where he’s been his best over his career.
Whether the Braves would allow Albies to hit just right-handed, manager Brian Snitker said that would be up to him.
Ozzie Albies is still feeling some discomfort swinging left-handed. I asked if there was any chance he would just hit right-handed. Snitker said that kind of decision is up to the player.
— Mark Bowman (@mlbbowman) September 6, 2024
Ozzie Albies may be a more natural right-handed hitter, but it’s been years since he’s hit right-handed pitching from the right side of the batter’s box. There’s no guarantee the results would be very good. However, Albies is the ultimate competitor. If he feels he can help the team by hitting just right-handed, I would expect him to do everything he can to be on the field for the final stretch run.
Hopefully, it doesn’t come to that, and Ozzie Albies starts feeling more comfortable from the left side. But it still feels like we are at least a week away before the Braves even consider activating the star second baseman.
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