Braves Rumors: Postseason roster surprise, Ohtani price drop, Acuña MVP edge
By Mark Powell
Atlanta Braves Rumors: Postseason roster could be in for a surprise
Atlanta Braves infielder Ehire Adrianza has been out for quite some time, but he made a rehab start in Triple-A Gwinnett last Tuesday in hopes of convincing the big-league club to call him back up. The offensive struggles of Nicky Lopez could convince Atlanta to do just that, especially if Adrianza can perform up to par with his 2021 self.
In 2021, Adrianza slashed .247/.327/.401 in what was easily the best offensive season of his career. Since then, he has struggled to stay on the field in Atlanta and via a brief stay with the Washington Nationals. The Braves know what he can bring defensive when healthy -- it's the same versatility that Lopez offers. However, Lopez himself has been struggling of late, as I wrote this week:
feed
"However, Lopez is hitting just .118 over his last seven games and .205 over his last 15 games. It's a small sample size, but every at-bat matters for a player like Lopez, who is hoping to earn his way onto the postseason roster with versatility. Players like Vaughn Grissom and Braden Shewmake can also offer this skill -- though Lopez is far superior to Grissom defensively -- but with a little more pop in their bat."
At the time, I listed Grissom and Shewmake as the most likely replacements, as Adrianza had yet to report to Gwinnett. But assuming Adrianza can make some noise in Triple-A, the Braves may prefer his experience come the postseason over their other options.