Michael Harris II Update, Matt Olson’s Hot Streak, Matt Carasiti Signed

Things are starting to look a little less bleak for the Atlanta Braves as they cruised their way to a 9-2 rout of the Tampa Bay Rays on Saturday afternoon. The bats came alive and the starting pitching remained strong as they hope this trend continues throughout the month of June.

One factor missing from all the excitement was Michael Harris II. Harris was injured while running on the bases in Friday’s series opener with the Rays. It seems like a cruel joke at this point, as Atlanta has dealt with frustrating injuries all season. The team announced after the game that he was experiencing hamstring discomfort and would likely be placed on IL before undergoing an MRI the next day.

To replace him on the roster, Atlanta recalled outfielder and former Oakland Athletics star player Ramón Laureano from Triple-A Gwinnett. Spencer Strider was transferred to the 60-day IL to make room for Laureano on the 40-man roster.

As soon as things started to improve offensively, the team was dealt another blow. Michael Harris II’s MRI revealed he had a grade 2 strain in his left hamstring. This will put Atlanta’s talented center out of action for at least a month. Grade 2 hamstring strains take four to eight weeks to heal, depending on their severity.

Harris had struggled at the plate, but slowly began to figure things out as Atlanta’s new leader. Over his last six games played, Money Mike was hitting .286 with six hits including a triple. His season average sits at .250 with five home runs, 20 RBIs and 85 OPS+.

This injury allowed the Braves to let Jarred Kelenic take the lead and he took full advantage of it. Kelenic was 3-for-5 with two runs scored and really got things going for Atlanta. It’s extremely likely that fans will see Jarred in this position a lot more often.

It was a rough start to the season for Matt Olson after a historic season in 2023. Through the first 38 games of 2024, Olson was hitting .209 with four home runs, 18 RBIs, 19 walks and 42 strikeouts.

However, over the past month, Matt has hit .311/.357/.597 with eight home runs, 21 RBIs, eight walks, 32 strikeouts and a .954 OPS. He looks a lot more like the Matt Olson fans are accustomed to.

Olson has been much better at being patient at the plate and staying during the baseball when he swings. He doesn’t let the pitches fool him and seems much more confident. His strikeouts are a little high and that should be improved but overall he is back on track for the Braves. The league better be warned because this is just the beginning of Matt Olson and Atlanta’s offense.

The Braves agreed to a minor league contract with right-handed reliever Matt Carasiti a few days ago. Carasiti was elected a free agent after the Colorado Rockies designated him for assignment and placed him on outright waivers.

Carasiti had a 10.38 ERA in 8.2 innings for the Colorado bullpen. He has a 7.36 ERA over 33 frames with the Rockies between 2023 and 2024 with 14 walks and 23 strikeouts. He appeared in the majors for four seasons with a career ERA of 7.41.

His average speed is around 95 mph on his sinker, which is his primary pitch. Carasiti also uses a forkball, four-seam fastball and cutter. The ground ball rate on his sinker sits around 48.5% and provides much-needed depth to an injury-ravaged Atlanta bullpen.

Speaking of injured relievers, Braves pitcher AJ Minter is expected to start throwing bullpen sessions soon according to Brian Snitker. Minter is recovering from left hip inflammation and it has taken a little longer than expected to heal, but it appears he is close to a return.

Minter seemed on track to return, but Atlanta is paying close attention to its left-handed reliever. He had a 2.95 ERA in 21.1 innings with six walks and 23 strikeouts before being placed on injured reserve. In his absence, the Braves relied on Ray Kerr, Aaron Bummer and Dylan Lee on the left side.

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