Braves Place Key Contributor on Injured List With Broken Toe

The Atlanta Braves are dipping into their infield depth once more

Atlanta Braves second baseman Ozzie Albies is heading to the injured list with a broken toe / Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports

The Atlanta Braves continue to have their roster depth tested.

After losing catcher Sean Murphy on Opening Day to an oblique strain and Spencer Strider to an UCL issue, the Braves are losing yet another key contributor to injury.

The Atlanta Braves announced today that second baseman Ozzie Albies is going on the injured list for a "right great toe fracture".

It's the fourth injured list stint for the 27-year-old-infielder in the last three seasons; Ozzie missed 94 days for a broken foot and 18 for a broken finger in 2022, followed up by a fourteen day stay on the injured list in 2023 for a strained hamstring. Three of the four injuries were breaks to either the foot or hand, coming on either a HBP or a play in the field.

And that's exactly what happened in this instance, as well; Albies injured the toe on a second inning hit by pitch in last night's game. He finished the game, hitting a single and running the bases in the 9th inning, but was limping afterwards and x-rays today revealed the break.

Here is the HBP that fractured Albies' right big toe in last night's second inning. He played the rest of the game. This shouldn't be a lengthy injured list stint. pic.twitter.com/xZiAZ73puJ

— Mark Bowman (@mlbbowman) April 16, 2024

Albies was batting .317/.386/.492 with two homers, fourteen runs, and fourteen RBIs on the season while playing all fifteen games at second base and batting behind Ronald Acuña Jr. in the lineup.

Taking Ozzie's place on the roster is veteran infielder David Fletcher. Acquired this offseason when the Braves shed the salary of Evan White (who himself was acquired in the Jarred Kelenic trade), the 30-year-old Fletcher has spent the early season in AAA Gwinnett. Batting .280/.383/.320 for the Stripers with ten runs and seven RBIs in their thirteen games, Fletcher is expected to serve as the primary backup to Luis Guillorme, last night's starter at shortstop who will slot in to the everyday second base role for Atlanta.