MIAMI — Atlanta Braves second baseman Ozzie Albies returned from a broken left wrist Friday and was held hitless in his team’s 4-3 loss to the Miami Marlins.
Albies was activated from the 10-day injured list for the final 10 days of the regular season and the Braves chasing a playoff berth. The switch hitter batted right-handed only and was 0-for-4.
He lined out to right field on the first pitch he saw in the first inning, popped out on the first pitch of his next at-bat in the third, fouled out in the fifth on three pitches — the first two were balls — and grounded into a double play on a 1-2 count in the seventh.
“We know what he can do,” Braves manager Brian Snitker said after the game. “It’s still good to see him in that lineup, I’ll tell you that.”
The 27-year-old Albies, a three MLB All-Star and a two-time Silver Slugger Award winner, had been sidelined since fracturing his left wrist in a July 21 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals. He got hurt in that game while trying to catch a throw when Michael Siani stole second base in the ninth inning. Siani slid into Albies as the infielder reached for the ball, bending back his glove hand at an awkward angle.
“He brings so much heart and soul to our game and the team,” Snitker said. “Who he is, how he plays — it’s hard to replace that. If you play the game the way Ozzie does, you’re going to play it right. Having him in there is just a huge spark for our club.”
Albies, who was hitting .255 with eight home runs and 46 RBIs before the injury, was second in the batting order Friday, with Michael Harris II in the leadoff spot. Snitker said that was to get more speed at the top of the lineup.
“Just kind of a good mix with what Ozzie brings anyway,” Snitker said. “And then you’ve got a couple of guys that can run up there at top of the order.”
Cavan Biggio, a 29-year-old infielder traded to Atlanta by the San Francisco Giants two weeks ago, was optioned to Triple-A Gwinnett to make room for Albies on the roster.
Atlanta has dealt with multiple injuries to key players this season, including season-ending setbacks for ace right-hander Spencer Strider and right fielder and leadof hitter Ronald Acuña Jr., the 2023 National League MVP. Starting third baseman Austin Riley is currently sidelined with a fracture in his right hand, with his chance of returning in 2024 likely dependent on whether the Braves make the playoffs.