Ahead of the Braves’ second game against the Giants, Justin Toscano of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution provided us with some excellent news that Michael Harris II ran for the first time since his hamstring injury, a significant step towards returning to Atlanta.
Orlando Arcia had his tooth pulled yesterday and is not here today. He’s not feeling well.
Michael Harris II ran for the first time since the hamstring injury.
— Justin Toscano (@JustinCToscano) July 3, 2024
Harris began doing baseball activities a few days ago after a few weeks of being sidelined, seen throwing on the field before Tuesday’s contest against San Francisco.
This is a positive development in Harris’ recovery. The 2022 Rookie of the Year has been out since June 15th with a hamstring strain, and the club’s offense desperately needs him back in the lineup.
Typically, this kind of injury carries a six to eight-week recovery timeline, but hamstrings are tricky. The Braves aren’t playing a playoff game tomorrow, so there’s no reason to prematurely rush Michael Harris, especially for a guy who relies on his explosion.
At the earliest, it seems we are still a couple of weeks away from seeing him roaming centerfield in Truist again, but avoiding setbacks is the primary goal, which can certainly happen with these kinds of things.
Michael Harris II was struggling before his injury, with just an 84 OPS+ (16% below league average), but even that level of production would be a godsend for this Braves offense.
Over his first two campaigns, Harris put together a 124 OPS+. If the Braves can get that back before the trade deadline, that would go a long way in Atlanta’s hope of catching the division-leading Phillies.
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Photographer: Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire
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