Atlanta Braves All-Star second baseman Ozzie Albies has been activated from the injured list. The Braves lineup is now back to full strength.
.@therabody injury update:
The #Braves today reinstated INF Ozzie Albies from the injured list, recalled RHP Darius Vines to Atlanta, and optioned LHP Jared Shuster and INF Vaughn Grissom to Triple-A Gwinnett. pic.twitter.com/4fMn81wMbW
— Atlanta Braves (@Braves) August 28, 2023
Albies went on the injured list on August 15 with a left hamstring strain. Two weeks after the injury, he returns to a Braves team that has kept a torrid pace over the course of his absence. Let’s take a look at what Albies’ activation means for both Atlanta and the National League postseason picture.
Ozzie Albies Activated from IL
The Rich Get Richer
The Braves’ offense this season has been far and away the best in baseball. More than that, they’ve produced at a historic pace. This year, Atlanta’s roster has been 24% better than the league’s average by WRC+. The club is hitting a collective .273 this season, leads the league in hard-hit percentage, and is on pace to break the single-season team home run record. There is no offense more potent in the league. This is part of the reason that Atlanta is the best team in MLB this season. They are four games ahead of the Los Angeles Dodgers for the NL’s top playoff seed.
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With Albies activated, the Braves are able to field their full Opening Day lineup again. The second baseman is having one of his finest seasons as a professional. Despite the hamstring injury, Albies remains likely to surpass his career-high in home runs (30 in 2021) this season. He currently has 28 dingers and he ranks fourth in the National League with 90 RBI. With a good month, he has an outside shot of surpassing his career best of 106 RBI. Since Albies has arguably been the best second baseman in the National League since 2018, his reintegration into the lineup makes the Braves more intimidating down the stretch.
Atlanta vs. The Field
Despite the well-publicized offseasons from their division rivals in the New York Mets and Philadelphia Phillies, the Braves have held first place since their first game of the season. With such a large lead in late August, the Braves don’t have any drama forthcoming about their playoff hopes. However, home-field advantage will be a key race to watch down the stretch. Atlanta holds a comfortable lead over the Dodgers at four games, but Los Angeles is not going away any time soon. In addition, the Braves are 3 1/2 games ahead of the Baltimore Orioles for the best record in MLB. Since the team with the best regular season record gets home-field advantage in the World Series, there is still plenty for Atlanta to play for. Albies’ activation only improves the Braves’ chances for the deep October run the team expects.
Photo Credit: John Jones-USA TODAY Sports
