Injury updates: Ozzie Albies, pitchers progressing towards returns

Atlanta's going to have a bullpen issue in a few weeks if all of these arms are able to return before the postseason

When you think about the Atlanta Braves having the best record in baseball and (seemingly) the best offense on Earth, it's even more amazing to think about how they've won so many games despite losing key contributors to injury for large chunks of the season. 

We've gathered some updates on how several of these injured Braves are progressing towards a return.

2B Ozzie Albies

Paul Rutherford-USA TODAY Sports

Currently on the 10-day IL due to a minor hamstring strain, Ozzie was seen on the field this weekend not only jogging, but doing lateral stretches and lunges. The belief is that he'll require only the minimum on the injured list, but that's obviously not a guarantee. 

Bally Sports' reporter Kelly Crull had a report on it over the weekend: 

"He's heading in the right direction"@Kelly_Crull has the latest update on Ozzie Albies⬇️ pic.twitter.com/kAIsMbOWEm

— Bally Sports South (@BallySportsSO) August 19, 2023

RP Jesse Chavez

Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

The veteran reliever was having one of the best seasons of his career - 1.55 ERA in 31 appearances - when he took a 99 mph comebacker off the shin against Detroit in early June and was put on the 15-day injured list. After it was slow to respond to treatment and Chavez was still unable to put full weight on the leg, Atlanta later moved Chavez to the 60-day IL. 

Uncle Jesse was spotted on the mound late last week, and is about to progress to facing live batters in batting practice as the next step in his recovery. He'll be eligible to return on August 24th, but projects to not be available until sometime in September. 

RP Dylan Lee

Orlando Ramirez-USA TODAY Sports

The tall lefty was placed on the 15-day IL in mid-May because of inflammation in his shoulder, and was later moved to the 60-day IL in late June to free up a roster spot. He's been on rehab assignments in AAA Gwinnett, making five appearances with two strikeouts and only three hits allowed. It's believed he's just about ready to return, although Atlanta indicated that he may spend longer with the Stripers to stretch out a bit where he could cover multiple innings once he returns. 

RP Nick Anderson

Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

Anderson was an early-season revelation for this Braves bullpen, flashing the dominance he exhibited in Tampa Bay in the second half of 2019 and all of 2020. After suffering from an elbow injury in 2021 that required surgery and a foot injury in 2022 that ended both seasons, Tampa Bay dropped him from the roster. 

After signing with Atlanta, Anderson was 4-0 with a 3.06 ERA in 35 appearances when he suffered a shoulder strain that was thought to end his season, almost immediately going on the 60-day IL in mid-July. 

He's throwing from flatground right now and is expected to be able to move to mound work in the next two weeks, although it's not expected that he'd be ready to return to the active roster until probably the very end of the season, if not the postseason. 

SP Kyle Wright

Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

2022's MLB wins leader has been on the injured list since May 4th with a right shoulder injury. Wright's been chasing the injury all calendar year, getting a cortisone injection in January to alleviate soreness and delaying the start to his spring training as he regained strength in the shoulder. 

After five starts of...questionable quality (0-1, 5.79 ERA), Wright went almost immediately on the 60-Day IL. He's reportedly been throwing off a mound for a few weeks now and just last weekend transitioned down to the Braves' spring training complex in North Port, FL to face live hitters. It's believed that he could potentially come back in time for the postseason, although he'll obviously need multiple rehab starts before he's ready to be activated. 

Bullpen roster crunch

It'll be interesting to see how Atlanta sorts the bullpen once some of these options make it back - Atlanta's bullpen has multiple lefties in AJ Minter and Brad Hand, and no one has remaining options other than Minter (and he's not going anywhere). 

Atlanta's "core four" consists of closer Raisel Iglesias, setup men AJ Minter (LHP) and Joe Jiménez (RHP), and Pierce Johnson (RHP). Atlanta's used both Brad Hand (LHP) and Collin McHugh (RHP) in middle relief, with Michael Tonkin (RHP) serving as the long reliever out of the pen. 

Those last three feel like the biggest threats to lose a roster spot if Atlanta gets back someone else they're eager to add to the bullpen mix, with mid-season acquisition Hand probably expendable if Lee returns and Collin McHugh probably safe unless the front office wants to eat the balance of this year's $5M salary. McHugh has a $6M option for 2024, his age 37 year, with a $1M buyout and it feels like a near certainty that Atlanta won't pick up the team option.  

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