According to David O’Brien of the Athletic, the Braves plan on activating Ender Inciarte when they come home from Milwaukee.
#Braves' Snitker said they expect to activate Inciarte on the upcoming homestand: “There’s going to have to be a roster move made. We’ll deal with that when we get there.”
— David O'Brien (@DOBrienATL) July 16, 2019
Atlants opens up a six-game homestand on Thursday, beginning with a four-game series with the Nats followed by a two-gamer with the Kansas City Royals. It’s not yet clear which they plan on bringing him back for, but it does tell us Inciarte is feeling fine in his rehab assignments, despite the poor results.
The three-time Gold Glove award winner went 1-13 in five games with the Florida Fire Frogs, 2-5 in two contests with Mississippi, and is currently 3-15 in Gwinnett. It’s not shocking that the Braves are bringing him back; the real mystery is what happens next. Who goes down, and is this situation permanent?
Nobody on Atlanta’s roster is deserving of a demotion. Matt Joyce seems like the most likely candidate to go to AAA unless the Braves see something in Austin Riley’s recent struggles that worries them. I don’t believe that to be the case. Or Atlanta could choose to ride with one less member in the bullpen for a few weeks until the situation sorts itself out.
This could very well be a case of the Braves trying to bring him up to increase his value for a trade. Show the world that he is healthy and remains the best defensive centerfielder in baseball. Or perhaps management honestly believes Inciarte is a better option than Joyce or a slumping Riley. Whatever the case is; it won’t take long before we know for certain. The trade deadline is only a little over two weeks away, and the Braves are poised to be among the most active teams.