The Atlanta Braves have been hamstrung with injuries to key players all season long, but fans finally received a piece of good news on Friday afternoon — albeit a small one.
Whit Merrifield is back in the lineup for the Braves on Friday night against the Los Angeles Dodgers, batting ninth and playing second base, per Justin Toscano of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
The return is surprisingly quick, considering that Merrifield fouled a ball off his left foot and fractured it on Sept. 6 and he was initially expected to miss at least six weeks.
If Merrifield can play through the pain, he could make a considerable difference until Ozzie Albies can return from a left wrist fracture he suffered on July 21.
Though he had an awful first half of the season in Philadelphia, Merrifield has played well in Atlanta, sporting a .359 on-base percentage with seven extra-base hits and 19 runs in 34 games.
Typically, the addition of Merrifield might not mean much, but his return is especially welcomed by a Braves team that has run out of options at second base.
With both Albies and Merrifield sidelined this past week, Luke Williams has played second base. Since Sept. 4, Williams has gone 4-for-19 (.210) with one extra-base hit and seven strikeouts.
Last night, Atlanta turned to Cavan Biggio (now on his third team this season) and he went 0-for-3 with a strikeout.
This unsteady play at the keystone position isn’t expected to continue for much longer, with Albies anticipated to return before the month is up, but it’s still encouraging to know that the team won’t have to rely on the likes of Williams or Biggio anymore.
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