What's Next for Braves After Brutal Drake Baldwin Injury Update

MIAMI – The Atlanta Braves were handed a brutal dose of bad news on Tuesday with the announcement that star catcher Drake Baldwin is going on the 10-day injured list due to a strained right oblique muscle. These types of injuries are also tricky for players to return from, so his absence should be considered indefinite until otherwise noted.

The timing could not have come at a worse time for the Braves.

This announcement comes just a week after Sean Murphy landed on the injured list with a fractured right finger that will hold him out for the next eight weeks. Adding insult to injury is their necessary (at least at the time) decision to send Jonah Heim to the Athletics in exchange for cash considerations.

It was not even a week ago that the Braves could argue that they had the best catcher duo in the Majors, but the last seven days have since gutted that claim.

A year after winning the National League Rookie of the Year award, Baldwin had developed into one of the most reliable players in baseball. Aside from calling great games for an ascending pitching staff, the catcher has slashed .303/.389/.389 with an OPS+ of 163, 13 home runs, and 38 RBIs.

On days when he isn’t behind the dish, Walt Weiss has used him as a designated hitter, deploying him all over the lineup. Most recently, Baldwin took over as the leadoff batter in the absence of Ronald Acuña Jr.

The Braves are fortunate that their star right fielder is on the mend and is expected to return to action on Tuesday after missing the last 14 games with a strained hamstring. He will be reinserted into the lineup, but replacing Baldwin’s presence is much more challenging for a team that has quickly extinguished its depth at catcher.

Sandy León and Chadwick Tromp will need to tread water until either Baldwin or Murphy returns to the line-up. Both have plenty of big-league experience, but the majority of it has come in reserve roles.

León has a pedestrian 0.2 career WAR and a career batting average hovering just above the Mendoza line. He does boast 563 games of experience, but the 37-year-old catcher is just a few weeks removed from leaving Triple-A to take swings in the Mexican League. He will not be counted on for his contributions with the bat. Instead, he will make his impact behind the plate, where he can call the game and steal outs on the basepath.

Tromp, meanwhile, sits with a -0.1 career WAR over just 67 games. He will occupy the reserve role behind León.

Losing his consistent bat will be a major blow to what has been one of the best lineups in baseball. As a team, the Braves were top-three in hits, runs, home runs, batting average, slugging, and RBIs, but Baldwin was a major component of that early-season success, and players all down the lineup are going to need to pick up the slack.

Atlanta is still hovering at the top of the majors with the best record in baseball, and it could prove fortunate to have built up a bit of distance in the division. The next several weeks could prove to be a test that nobody expected, and one that will push the pitching staff and offense in ways no one wanted.

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