As starting shortstop Orlando Arcia works his way back from injury, the Atlanta Braves are primed to split up reps at the position among a pair of young players: Vaughn Grissom and Braden Shewmake.
Braves Insider Grant McAuley tweeted:
"Braden Shewmake and Vaughn Grissom will share time at short until Orlando Arcia returns. That's still a couple of weeks away. #Braves"
That's a disappointing turn of events for Grissom, who played well after a late call-up a season ago. On the momentum of that call-up, the thought was that he'd win the starting job this year, but he lost it to Arcia and was sent to Triple-A.
He came back after Arcia's injury but has underwhelmed. The 22-year-old is hitting .258 through 62 at-bats but has no home runs, no stolen bases and just seven RBI.
He hit .291 in 41 games a season ago.
As for Shewmake, he is the organization's No. 6 prospect according to MLB.com. The 25-year-old was drafted in the first round of the 2019 draft out of Texas A&M.
From his MLB.com profile:
A left-handed-hitting infielder, Shewmake’s best characteristic at the plate is his knack for making contact. He shook off a rough start and elevated strikeout rate in his first full season and now carries a career K rate of just 18.5 percent heading into the 2023 season. While he is capable of hitting the ball hard, there are questions about whether he can drive it enough and also get on base more consistently to be more of an impact offensive player.
Shewmake’s defense has improved to the point at which the metrics point to him being one of the better defensive shortstops in the Minor Leagues. He’s not flashy, but he has great hands, plus instincts and an above-average arm, leading other teams to ask about him because of his glovework. How much he hits will determine whether he can reach his ceiling as an everyday player at the premium position.
Shewmake went 0-4 on Friday night, a game the Braves lost 9-4 to the Orioles.
More must-reads: