Braves place Michael Harris on injured reserve, select Ramon Laureano’s contract

As expected, the Atlanta Braves placed outfielder Michael Harris on the 10-day injured list on Saturday. Harris suffered a left hamstring strain in the first inning of Friday’s win over the Tampa Bay Rays. Brian Snitker confirmed after the game that Harris will join the IL and will undergo additional testing Saturday to determine the severity of the injury. Atlanta selected Ramon Laureano’s contract to fill Harris’ spot on the active roster. Spencer Strider was moved to the 60-day injured list to open a 40-man roster.

Like most of his teammates, Harris had a rough start to the season, but he was showing signs of recovery before the injury. He extended his hitting streak to five straight games with a first-inning single Friday. Overall, he’s hitting .250/.295/.358 with five homers and an 84 wRC+ in 67 games.

Laureano started the season with Cleveland but was released after hitting just .143/.265/.229 in 31 games. He signed a minor league contract with Atlanta on May 29 and was hitting .362/.424/.603 with three homers in 14 games in Gwinnett.

The Braves have a few options at center but none as good as Harris. JP Martinez replaced Harris in Friday’s game. Jarred Kelenic and Adam Duvall could also see time there. Ozzie Albies will likely fill the full-time lead role while Harris is out.