Brian Snitker's comment on Eddie Rosario is proof MLB can be a brutal business
By Mark Powell
Brian Snitker's been around long enough to tell any player with a straight face why they're not productive enough to play on the major-league squad, let alone Eddie Rosario. Braves fans will always be able to thank Rosario for the memories, but this 2021 reunion hasn't gone as planned thus far in Atlanta, a team which is reeling as they hope to avoid falling out of the playoff race altogether.
The Braves entered Sunday's slate a half-game ahead of the New York Mets, but Atlanta has flip-flopped with their NL East rivals throughout the week. Injuries to Ronald Acuña Jr. and Spencer Strider have finally caught up to a Braves outfield and rotation. The former is where Rosario comes in, as the 32-year-old was claimed from the Washington Nationals just a few weeks ago.
Despite some flashes in his first games back in the ATL, the rest of his tenure did not go well. Rosario slashed just .154/.181/.282 with a .463 OPS. When asked why the team designated Rosario for assignment, Snitker was honest.
“Mainly, it was a left-right type of thing. We are going to add another left handed bat as soon as Michael comes back," Snitker said.
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Brian Snitker had good reason for sending Eddie Rosario to Gwinnett
Snitker, of course, was referring to Michael Harris II. Rosario's splits against lefties aren't much worse than against righties. The problem is that he's hitting under the Mendoza line against both.
It's unclear if Rosario accepted his assignment to Gwinnett. If not, he could be granted his release altogether, though if he learned anything about his time in Washington and Atlanta this season, perhaps he could use some time to work on his swing in Triple-A. Because Rosario has accrued plenty of MLB service time he can reject that assignment.
Rosario was replaced by Eli White on the active roster. Atlanta fell victim to another injury in its outfield over the weekend, though, as Ramon Laureano exited a game early with heel pain. It's unclear if he'll need a stint on the injured list, which could open the door for...Rosario!
All of this is further evidence the Braves are lacking in the outfield department. While they traded for Jorge Soler at the deadline, one could argue Alex Anthopoulos should've done more to fill the void left by Acuña Jr. and Harris II when he was injured.