Injury updates: Harris, McHugh getting closer to returns

Atlanta has reinforcements on the way for their injury-depleted lineup and bullpen

Author:
Lindsay Crosby
Apr 24, 2023 7:29 PM EDT

Despite how gloomy we were on today's podcast about the Atlanta Braves and how they played over the weekend while getting swept by the Astros, this is a good Braves team that still sits in 1st place in the NL East even after a four-game losing streak.

And hopefully, reinforcements are on the way.

Closer Raisel Iglesias threw live BP today, including to centerfielder Michael Harris, on the field prior to today's series opener against the Marlins. Harris's work included running the bases (complete with head first slide) and multiple at-bats against Atlanta's closer.

Talking pregame to reporters, manager Brian Snitker said that the next step for Harris would be a rehab assignment, with the destination and dates not yet announced.

Iglesias is also closer to returning to game form, with live batting practice being a key milestone in returning from the sore shoulder that shut him down early in Grapefruit League action. Iglesias, acquired from the Los Angeles Angels for Tucker Davidson and Jesse Chavez at the trade deadline, was one of the best relievers in baseball down the stretch last year, putting up a 0.34 ERA in twenty-eight appearances after the trade, with thirty strikeouts to only five walks in 26.1 innings.

Reliever Collin McHugh, on the 2nd year of a two-year deal he signed with Atlanta last offseason, is on track to be activated as early as tomorrow. He just completed a rehab assignment in Low-A Rome, pitching three scoreless innings last Friday. He was present at today's on-field workout, but did not participate in live at-bats.

Catcher Travis d'Arnaud caught a side session and participated in batting practice on Saturday, and is progressing towards a return. He's been on the IL since April 9th, just a day after colliding with Padres infielder Rougned Odor and suffering the fourth concussion of his career. (he suffered one in the minors in 2008 and two in the majors, in 2011 and 2014).

Returning four players from the IL would go a long way to bolstering this roster, which has already gotten Max Fried and Kyle Wright back and has been getting by with fantastic individual performances from Sean Murphy (who caught 11 of the 13 games d'Arnaud has missed) and Sam Hilliard (who has started all but two games in centerfield in Harris's absence.)

Two biggest potential loser in the return of Harris is DH Marcell Ozuna. Only 4-51 on the season, Ozuna has gotten sproadic playing time in both left field and DH while Atlanta's been without Harris. Once your everyday centerfielder in Harris is back with the club, Sam Hilliard's emergence will result in a roster and playing time crunch for Ozuna, who is owed $33M over the final two years of his contract.

Since Harris went down with a back issue on April 6th, Hilliard has gone 12-37 with 1 homerun five total extra base hits while playing fantastic defense in centerfield, including robbing Manny Machado of a homerun in Petco Park when Atlanta took two out of three from the San Diego Padres. The Braves will undoubtedly give him extended run in centerfield to keep his bat in the lineup and to give Atlanta possibly the best defensive outfield in the major leagues.

The two players left on the injured list and/or in the minors after those players return are SS Orlando Arcia and RHP Michael Soroka. Arcia, wearing a cast on his broken wrist, has been in the dugout and around the team since he suffered a "microfracture" of the left wrist and went on the IL on April 14th. He was batting .333/.400/.511 while playing fantastic defense at shortstop - Vaughn Grissom has stepped into his role temporarily while Arcia rehabs the injury, but Arcia's in line to reclaim his starting spot once healthy.

Soroka, who has been in AAA Gwinnett since he returned from rehab on his twice-torn Achilles late last season, was lined up to start tomorrow's 11AM game for Gwinnett but has been pushed back to Sunday. As he's barely thrown since 2019, Atlanta's looking for ways to easily manage his innings and keep the count down. Ideally, this would allow him to have starts of standard length, like last Friday's 91 pitch outing against Omaha where he allowed four hits and no runs in six innings, with two walks and five strikeouts.