In case you missed it, Ronald Acuna Jr. will miss the remainder of the 2024 season after suffering a complete tear in his left ACL on an awkward play in Sunday’s game. This is devastating news for Acuna, the Braves, their fans, and the game of baseball. The 2023 NL MVP is fresh off the first 40 HR, 70 SB season in MLB history, & now he will spend yet another season during the prime of his career recovering from injury.
Baseball is an unforgiving game though, & life goes on in a sense as the Braves have to pick up the pieces rather quickly and play another 112 games without their MVP. The team has already made some notable roster moves, including placing Acuna on the 60-day IL, activating C Sean Murphy from the injured list, and recalling OF J.P. Martinez (who?) from AAA to help fill the void created by the loss of their superstar. What other roster moves could the team look to make over these next few months? Read on to find some options for the team as they build the roster down the stretch.
Insert Sean Murphy, Austin Riley into the lineup
As mentioned above, the Braves are set to reinsert C Sean Murphy back into their lineup after an oblique injury sidelined him for the first 50 games of the ’24 season. All indications are that 3B Austin Riley will make his much-anticipated return to the diamond on Monday as well after a left intercostal strain caused him to miss games. Getting these two guys back into action is huge news for a lineup that has struggled to hit and score runs with any type of consistency over the season’s last month or so.
Recall Forrest Wall to the team’s active roster
Wall could have (& perhaps should have) been recalled instead of J.P. Martinez, but it’s only a matter of time before the talented OF prospect joins the big league club. The 28-year-old is hitting .306/.417/.495 in 30 AAA games this season, and he’s spent some time with the team already as he cracked their Opening Day roster in March. He’s also recorded 52 stolen bases in each of the past two seasons in Gwinnett, and the team is sorely in need of a sparkplug who brings some juice on the basepaths.
Move Ozzie Albies or Michael Harris II to the leadoff spot
The team will need to decide how to best fill the lineup spot at the top of their order. Two guys who fit the bill in terms of internal candidates, Ozzie Albies and Michael Harris II, each have experience batting leadoff when Acuna has missed game time. Albies, who is a switch hitter, will get his first leadoff opportunity in the team’s new-look lineup (minus Acuna) in their Memorial Day afternoon game vs. the Nationals. Harris will surely get an opportunity at some point, but for now he will have to wait.
Trade for an outfielder(s) at the deadline?
Braves GM Alex Anthopoulos shocked the world when he traded for not one, not two, but three outfielders at the 2021 MLB trade deadline enroute to a championship. History has a way of repeating itself, as the circumstances then and now are similar. Alex is probably already making calls to try and improve the roster via trade, and Braves fans have learned over the years to trust his process in assembling the team.
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