The Braves have been hampered by injuries all season long. Despite the laundry list of stars on the IL, the club boasts the best record in baseball while also holding the largest division lead. However, the tide is beginning to turn on the injury front, and the biggest piece set to return is Kyle Wright.
A 20-game winner from a year ago, Wright has been out for essentially the entire season after a lingering shoulder injury popped back up. The Braves haven’t missed him too much, considering it hasn’t affected the team’s ability to stack victories. However, the rotation’s recent pitching woes have made Wright’s return that much more important.
Those worries were put to rest over the weekend. Spencer Strider and Allan Winans tossed seven scoreless innings on Saturday as the Braves trampled the measly Mets. Max Fried is also back, and though he had a rough outing most recently, we all know that was an aberration of who the Braves ace is. Moreover, the farm features a couple of arms that are capable of starting games — Michael Soroka and A.J. Smith-Shawver.
The former just shoved on Saturday. The Maple Maddux threw seven scoreless for the Triple-A Stripers on Saturday night, finishing with eight punchouts and only three hits en route to a complete-game shutout. Neither is likely to contribute in the postseason but are more than able to take some pressure off the starting rotation as October approaches.
Even still, Wright’s return is looking more and more likely. A few weeks ago, it was reported that Wright would begin to throw off the mound. Now, Justin Toscano of the Atlanta Journal Consitution noted he’s been transferred to Florida to continue his rehab.
Kyle Wright has been transferred to Florida to continue ramping up, which is a good sign about his progress. He’s been throwing off a mound.
— Justin Toscano (@JustinCToscano) August 13, 2023
The Braves are confident Kyle Wright will return sometime in September, providing there are no setbacks. However, unlike Max Fried, it’s no given Wright will immediately return to the pitcher we saw last year. This is a shoulder injury that Wright re-injured after just five starts this season. Everything has to go right for Kyle Wright to be on the playoff roster.
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David J. Griffin/Icon Sportswire
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