Braves feeling those taxi squad vibes already at catcher
By John Buhler
The Atlanta Braves must use the taxi squad ahead of Opening Day at catcher.
Alex Jackson will be starting behind the plate for the Atlanta Braves on MLB Opening Day.
The MLB is back in our lives this weekend, as the 60-game season will now be underway. It will be the weirdest season of professional baseball in the weirdest year of our lives. In the age of the coronavirus, we should expect to hear the names of players to be scratched from the lineup hours before first pitch. The Braves are dealing with that now at the catcher position before Game No. 1.
According to David O’Brien of The Athletic, the “Braves are without BOTH of their catchers, Tyler Flowers and Travis d’Arnaud. Both tested negative for COVID-19 but both have symptoms and are back in Atlanta. Again, both tested negative. But they’re without the for at least today. Alex Jackson will catch.”
“Braves had hoped that one or both of the catchers would wake today feeling better and be able to fly to New York for the game. But both were still showing symptoms upon waking today, so Jackson, on the taxi squad, steps in for today 4:10 p.m. opener vs. Mets.”
“[Braves manager Brian Snitker] said Flowers and/or d’Arnaud just has to feel better, don’t have to go through protocols, etc. Might just have bad cold, in other words. All the tests are negative. But then again, tomorrow a test could be positive. Welcome to 2020.”
“William Contreras is also in New York, so the Braves have both their third and fourth catchers there and they’ll handle the duties as long as needed, until one of the veterans gets well.”
#Braves are without BOTH of their catchers, Tyler Flowers and Travis d'Arnaud. Both tested negative for COVID-19 but both have symptoms and are back in Atlanta. Again, both tested negative. But they're without the for at least today. Alex Jackson will catch.
— David O'Brien (@DOBrienATL) July 24, 2020
#Braves had hoped that one or both of the catchers would wake today feeling better and be able to fly to New York for the game. But both were still showing symptoms upon waking today, so Jackson, on the taxi squad, steps in for today 4:10 p.m. opener vs. Mets.
— David O'Brien (@DOBrienATL) July 24, 2020
Snit said Flowers and/or d'Arnaud just has to feel better, don't have to go through protocols, etc. Might just have bad cold, in other words. All the tests are negative. But then again, tomorrow a test could be positive. Welcome to 2020.
— David O'Brien (@DOBrienATL) July 24, 2020
William Contreras is also in New York, so the #Braves have both their third and fourth catchers there and they'll handle the duties as long as needed, until one of the veterans gets well.
— David O'Brien (@DOBrienATL) July 24, 2020
The Atlanta Braves to use Alex Jackson, William Contreras behind the plate.
Not having either Travis d’Arnaud or Tyler Flowers readily available for Opening Day has Braves Country freaking out. This fanbase has had to scurry the depths of the depth chart to figure out who was going to be on the receiving end of Mike Soroka’s offerings on the mound. This will be Soroka’s first Opening Day start of his promising big league career.
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So while Jackson will get the start behind the dish, his backup backstop is William Contreras. This isn’t the first time Braves manager Brian Snitker has had to deliver bad news regarding the coronavirus and his team, as it surely won’t be the last. Atlanta has the depth out in the field of play and in the bullpen to handle this, but with the rotation and at catcher, maybe not so much.
Let’s see how Jackson does calling Soroka’s first Opening Day start of his career this afternoon.