Orlando Arcia does Braves one last favor against their biggest rival

Orlando Arcia was recently designated for assignment by the Atlanta Braves after spending parts of five seasons with the club. The move to part ways with him wasn't so shocking, considering Nick Allen had completely taken over as their starting shortstop, but seeing him in another uniform was jarring. Now, in just his second game as a member of the Colorado Rockies, Arcia has already done his former team a massive favor.

Arcia got a sinker up in the zone from Clay Holmes and deposited an opposite-field home run just out of Tyrone Taylor's reach in right-center field, giving the Rockies a 1-0 lead over the New York Mets. After not hitting a single home run in any of his 35 plate appearances for the Braves this season, Arcia went yard in his fourth trip to the plate with Colorado.

It goes without saying that anything Arcia can do against the Mets, Atlanta's biggest rival, will be cherished by Braves fans.

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Orlando Arcia has Braves fans cheering for him even in another uniform

It didn't work out this season, but Arcia, seemingly out of nowhere, was an All-Star for the Braves in 2023, and became a fan favorite. Even in another uniform, he's a player that Braves fans would like to see succeed (in games not against the Braves), especially against the Mets.

Any games the Mets lose help the Braves in the long run. They might be 8.5 games behind New York in the NL East, but it's only June. They're chasing the Mets in the NL East, but also the NL Wild Card standings.

Now, to be fair, there's a good chance Arcia's home run won't mean much. The Rockies are 9-49 for a reason, and might end the season as MLB's worst team in modern history. Colorado beating the Mets even with that home run will be a challenge, and sure enough, the Mets have taken a 4-3 lead as of this writing.

Still, Braves fans can appreciate that, at the very least, he's making the effort to help lead Colorado to the upset at Citi Field. For Atlanta to seriously get back into the playoff picture, they'll not only have to play well on their end, but they'll need some luck. Arcia leading the Rockies to a victory over a team they're chasing would qualify as luck.