Atlanta Braves Shuffle Lineup after Merrifield Hit by Pitch

There was hope Whit Merrifield would be available for the Atlanta Braves after he was struck in the head by a pitch on Tuesday.

Atlanta Braves second baseman Whit Merrifield on ground after being hit in the head with a pitch against the Colorado Rockies on Tuesday. / Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Atlanta Braves second baseman Whit Merrifield is out of the lineup for Wednesday night’s game against the Colorado Rockies. According to ESPN, Merrifield is listed as day-to-day.

Lining up for #LudaNight pic.twitter.com/dgVhAexZ0G

— Atlanta Braves (@Braves) September 4, 2024

Merrifield was struck in the head by a pitch in Tuesday night’s 3-0 win, so the team is erring on the side of caution here. He ripped the state of Major League Baseball after the game. Pitchers are throwing harder than ever, hitting more batters than ever, and seeing less accountability than ever.

There had been some signs that he might have been able to play on Wednesday, but Snitker said in the postgame conference they would see how he felt the next day. 

Even if he’s fine. Better safe than sorry. 

Luke Williams will fill in for him at second base and Michael Harris II will be penciled back into the lead-off spot. Williams has played 23 career games at second base and once for the Braves this season. Harris has been penciled into the top of the order in 24 games this season. 

In 33 games with the Braves this season, Merrifield has batted .248 with a .708 OPS, one home run and three RBIs. He’s also stolen five bases and scored 19 times. Williams has played in 27 games for the Braves this season, batting .185 with a .501 OPS, no home runs and two RBIs. 

The Braves made no corresponding moves to get somebody to fill in from Triple-A. This isn’t an injury that should be keeping Merrifield out very long . Maybe he’ll end up making a late-game appearance like Harris did following his hit by pitch. 

One of the players brought in to take over for an injured player is now injured himself. He joins a number of players injured by a hit by pitch this year, including Michael Harris Jr., Travis d’Arnaud and Austin Riley. 

Riley is out six to eight weeks, essentially the remainder of the season, due to a fractured hand caused by a hit by pitch.