Braves latest roster move proves Alex Anthopoulos doesn’t believe Whit Merrifield

Atlanta Braves infielder Whit Merrifield has had a tough couple of weeks. First, Merrifield was plunked on the head, and made sure to call out every pitcher in baseball in the process.

“The guys are throwing as hard as they can and they don’t care where the ball goes. It is driving me nuts and I hate where the game is at right now with that," Merrifield said.

Just a few days later, Merrifield suffered a foot fracture but believes he could return next weekend. Merrifield's initial prognosis was up to six weeks, but that all changed when he saw a foot specialist.

“When they saw the CT scan and saw the small fracture, automatically it was six to eight [weeks],” manager Brian Snitker said. “Then they talked to the foot specialist, he said, ‘He’s not going to hurt it anymore. It’s about what he can tolerate.’”

The trick will be to limit the swelling in Merrifield's foot, which is easier said than done. However, Merrifield himself expects the recovery to be a piece of cake.

“It’s a stable fracture,” Merrifield said. “So, we’ll try to get the soft tissue and swelling down. It’s just a pain tolerance thing after that from my understanding.”

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The Braves quickly signed a Whit Merrifield backup plan, and for good reason

Atlanta made a small trade over the weekend to acquire Cavan Biggio, previously of the Toronto Blue Jays and then San Francisco Giants. Biggio will start in Triple-A Gwinnett to get some reps, but should Merrifield be unable to recover or struggle when rushed back, the Braves will have a backup plan at second base.

In 34 games with the Braves, Merrifield has slashed .243/.359/.342, which is good for an OPS just over the league average of .700. Atlanta's infield depth has been tested all year long, especially at second base given Ozzie Albies injury.

Biggio isn't a difference-maker, but he should be able to man the position and hit near the bottom of the lineup for a team that ought not to be relying on the likes of Merrifield or Biggio anyway.

For now, Luke Williams and Eli White will handle the load at second base until either Merrifield or Biggio emerges, per Brian Snitker.