It was reported that the Atlanta Braves could receive their All-Star second baseman back as soon as Friday. That report was proven right. Ozzie Albies returns to the Braves Friday after an extremely short stint on the injured list. In fact, his IL stint was just the minimum of ten days, and it is almost unheard of for someone with an injury to one of their toes like Ozzie Albies.
Ozzie Albies Returns After a Short IL Stint
With his return, Albies did something that most players aren’t able to do. Albies broke his toe on April 15th after being hit by a pitch against the Houston Astros. Most thought it would take a bit longer than the minimum stay for position players on the IL. That just wasn’t the case.
The most recent case of someone with a broken toe is Rob Refsnyder of the Boston Red Sox. This happened to him in spring training and he didn’t return for three weeks. It usually takes at least a couple of weeks for players to be ready to go after an injury to their toes. Ozzie Albies returns after just 10 days, and manager Brian Snitker had made comments that he could have returned even earlier.
What to Expect from Albies
Ozzie Albies returns to a Braves roster that has a bit of an injury bug. The Atlanta Braves haven’t really felt the pressure, going 17-6 on the season. However, Albies will fit right into the Braves lineup, as they’re hoping to get a bit more out of second base than they did in his absence. Luis Guillorme and David Fletcher took over for Albies after his injury, and the bat just hasn’t been there. Guillorme slashed .125/.177/.250 in five games where he registered plate appearances. Fletcher slashed .250/.222/.250 and was the move that preempted Albies being activated after being sent down to Triple-A.
On the season, Albies was hitting .327/.386/.492 before he went down. Through 15 games on the season, he’s had two homers, a couple of steals, and 14 RBI. Albies is starting to build a nice 2024 if he can keep up the production before he went down. It will be important to watch to see if there are any lingering effects, but for now, Ozzie Albies returns, and second base is steady again for the Braves.
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