Yesterday, the Braves suffered another critical injury in the tenth inning of their victory over the Boston Red Sox when Orlando Arcia pulled his hamstring while running to second. He is headed to the IL.
Orlando Arcia has a left hamstring injury. He’ll be placed on the IL.
— Justin Toscano (@JustinCToscano) August 10, 2022
Arcia may not be an All-Star, but he was doing an incredible job of filling in for one. Ozzie Albies has been out since the middle of June with a fractured foot, and he’s not expected to return until sometime in September.
That puts the Braves in a very disadvantageous position. Their only option to play second base on the roster right now is Ehire Adrianza, and he cannot be relied on to play every day. On the season, Adrianza is batting just .180 with a .473 OPS over 89 at-bats. And even if he were a starting caliber option, the team would still need to add an infielder to their bench.
The Braves do have some options in Gwinnett, and that’s probably where they will turn to first. However, if they need a major-league option with some big-league experience, Didi Gregorious, who was recently released by the Phillies, might be their best bet when it comes to free agents.
The Phillies announced that Didi Gregorius has been released. pic.twitter.com/8sZKbBx2Qf
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) August 4, 2022
Gregorious’ offensive production has fallen off a cliff over the last two seasons, which culminated in his release after he posted just a .567 OPS with one homer in 63 games for Philadelphia this year. The days of him smacking 20+ home runs with an OPS over .800 are well in the rearview, but the Braves are in a desperate situation following the injury to Orlando Arcia.
We’ve seen Alex Anthopoulos take chances on stars that have fallen out of favor before. Most recently, the Braves gave Robinson Canó an opportunity. It didn’t work out, but it was a risk-free move, much like Gregorious would be.
I think the Braves’ best option is calling up their top prospect Vaughn Grissom. It’s not ideal, but he has far and away the most upside, and Atlanta is amid a pennant race. However, if the Braves are hesitant about moving Grissom through the system that quickly, Didi Gregorious could be worth taking a flier on. They don’t have many other inspiring options at their disposal now that the trade deadline has passed.
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Photo: David J. Griffin/Icon Sportswire
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