3 Atlanta Braves playing their way off the roster in spring training

1. Why Braves infielder Orlando Arcia is playing his way off the roster

Orlando Arcia isn’t going anywhere. A versatile defensive player the team found useful last season, his weak spring training performance will only make him an official bench player rather than a serious contender for the starting shortstop gig. Vaughn Grissom has clearly won it.

Arcia hit .244/.316/.416 for the club in 234 plate appearances last season. Acquired in early 2021 in a trade with the Milwaukee Brewers, Arcia is one of those players whose production tends to swing to some extremes each year. Because of his ability to play the middle infield, he’ll bring some value to the Braves roster. A lack of production could have the team thinking about alternative plans.

Through his first 18 at-bats, Arcia has just 3 hits. Second baseman Ozzie Albies has done the same but with a pair of his hits being home runs and 7 RBI tacked on along the way, it overshadows Arcia’s early spring training struggles in a big way. Albies is much more stable in his spot as a starter for the Braves. Arcia had a chance to win or at least share playing time with Grissom.

There shouldn’t be any question about who takes the field on Opening Day for the Braves at shortstop. Arcia will need to rebuild some momentum in the latter part of the spring to have Brian Snitker consider him as more than a bench player.