Two Braves Bats Building Strong Case to Take Jurickson Profar's Place

A key task for the Atlanta Braves during the remainder of spring training is to plug the gap left by Jurickson Profar. With Profar officially being suspended, there is an open spot on the 40-man roster for the taking.

In theory, they could use it for pitching, but keep in mind, half the roster has to be position players. So, replacing one bat with another is the choice, and they need to find a solution for certain matchups.

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Two options in spring training have stood out the most that could fit the bill for the empty spot. They're two many that have likely gotten familiar with in spring training, but it doesn't hurt to look back over them.

Ben Gamel

The last time I took a look at Gamel, I said a major downside was trying to figure out where he fits on the team. Profar was generous enough to open a potential spot for him in the outfield.

So far, he's batting .278 with a 1.316 OPS. It helps when four of your five hits this spring have gone over the outfield fence. That lone ball that stayed in the yard was still for extra bases. Got big or go home. His strikeout rate isn't terrible, by today's standards. He's been sat down on strikes four times in 19 plate appearances.

It's worth continuing to give him looks. He's a veteran bat who has experience as an everyday player during his career. An advantage, too, is that he's an outfielder, with the plurality of games being played at left field. His glove isn't stellar, but it's serviceable. There could be games where he plays in left field and Yastrzemski is the DH.

Dominic Smith

This isn't the first time Smith has been discussed. He got his own piece recently as well. His inclusion is part of simply looking at the shortlist of options.

However, he's continued to see the ball well at the plate. He tallied three hits against the Rays on Sunday, including an RBI and a double.

For what it's worth, he's 2-for-4 against left-handed hitting, but the focus would likley be that he sees action against right-handers. That's just the matchup he has been better in historically, and the Braves have options against the lefties.

Like Gamel, Smith has experience in left field. However, his primary trade is first base. He'd likely be more of a DH option and Yastrzemski would play in the field.