Braves Address Matt Olson Injury Concerns, Remain Optimistic on Acuña

The Atlanta Braves made the effort to calm the nerves of many after Olson appeared to show discomfort in Friday night's win over the Red Sox

Matt Olson's health doesn't appear to be an issue for the Braves | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

As far as the Atlanta Braves are concerned, Matt Olson’s health is a non-issue. Manager Walt Weiss addressed what appeared to be a tweak in the first baseman’s elbow Friday night. 

Many noticed him wince as he swung and missed at a pinch in the bottom of the eighth inning. He never exited the game, but seeing an everyday player, especially one with an iron man streak, show any sign of discomfort. 

The issue is something that pops up from time to time, but it’s nothing that they feel is of concern. 

“He says it happens from time to time on a swinging miss or a check swing, where hyper extends that elbow,” Weiss said on Saturday. “But like I said, it’s happened to him before. It’s never been a long-term issue.”

Olson, as per usual, is in the lineup for the Braves for Saturday night’s game against the Red Sox. 

Playing through an ailment is something that he’s no stranger to. It’s what has to be done if you want to play in 827 games. 

“Health is a big factor of that, but he hasn’t felt his best every time going out there,” Chris Sale said ahead of Olson reaching 800 consecutive games played. “I’ve seen some situations where I was like, man, I don’t know.” 

So, the Braves remain calm about Olson, and they’re optimistic about others who are recovering from injuries. Ronald Acuña Jr. did more running drills on Saturday, running a little hard in the outfield and around the basepaths this time around. 

Weiss said the team isn’t ready to provide an exact return date. However, he said things look for a return in the next week or so. 

Acuña has been recovering from a hamstring injury since he exited a game on May 3 during the Rockies series. He went on the 10-day injured list the following day, retroactive to the day he got hurt. 

Eli White is also progressing well. Weiss didn’t say when he would be activated, but he indicated it should be close to when he’s eligible. He went on the 7-day concussion injury list after slamming into the wall at Dodger Stadium last week, trying to make a catch, which he succeeded in doing. 

Re-fortifying the outfield could be coming soon. It comes shortly after the infield got a reinforcement with Ha-Seong Kim returning. It’ll also be a refreshing update after losing Sean Murphy yet again to a long-term injury, a fractured left middle finger. That will keep him out for eight weeks or more.

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