The Braves experienced loads of success during the 2022 campaign despite falling short of their ultimate goal of winning a championship. Spencer Strider and Michael Harris II exploded onto the scene and signed lucrative, long-term extensions to stay in Atlanta. Nearly every facet of the club was superior to the one that won the World Series. However, it wasn’t all gravy. Ozzie Albies had a rough 2022 season.
Coming off a 2021 campaign that ended with Silver Slugger and All-Star honors, expectations were sky-high for the Braves second baseman. Unfortunately, multiple injuries kept him off the field for most of the season. Albies played in the team’s first 62 games, then suffered a broken foot trying to run out of the box during an at-bat in mid-June; it took nearly three months to return. And the most fun-loving player on the team would suffer another devastating injury, breaking his pinky in his second game back.
In the 64 games Albies played, he posted a .703 OPS and 93 WRC+ — both poor numbers by his standards. Over an entire season, it’s expected he’d experience positive regression, but Albies was his usual self in the field, posting four outs above average, an excellent mark in just 64 games.
Now, with plenty of time to recover, the Braves are expecting Albies to return to his 2021 form. He didn’t tear his Achilles or ACL by any means, so there shouldn’t be as big of a chance of re-injury. And Brian Snitker seems confident, telling Justin Toscano of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution that he’s doing physically and mentally well.
Brian Snitker said Ozzie Albies is doing well. Snitker saw Albies recently.
"He was fired up," Snitker said. "Had a good look about him and doing great."
Snitker said Tyler Matzek is doing well, too.
— Justin Toscano (@JustinCToscano) December 7, 2022
Despite the Braves missing Albies for nearly 100 games, the club absorbed the loss very well. A combination of Vaughn Grissom and Orlando Arcia held their own for much of the season, and the rookie actually took the league by storm his first month in the big leagues. However, there’s no doubt both are a downgrade compared to Ozzie Albies. It’ll be nice to have him and his vibes back in the clubhouse; the Braves sorely missed it in 2022.
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Jeff Robinson/Icon Sportswire
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