Braves make Michael Harris II injured list official, call up veteran OF

The Atlanta Braves lost Michael Harris Friday night to a hamstring injury. Harris was placed on the 10-day injured list as expected. Atlanta’s outfield depth will continue to be tested, with Harris the second starter to go down.

Atlanta’s corresponding moves were the addition of Spencer Strider to the 60-day injured list and the call-up of Ramón Laureano. Laureano spent significant time as a starter in Oakland with his best season coming in 2019 with 67 RBIs, 24 home runs and a solid .340 OBP.

Since then, Laureano has struggled the past two seasons in Cleveland. Atlanta signed the veteran outfielder to a minor league deal following Ronald Acuña Jr.’s injury. A deep move that will now come into play for a team that just can’t catch a break.

Strider’s move to the 60-day injured list was long overdue, with the pitcher out for the remainder of the season. Losing Strider was easier than expected with Chris Sale turning back the clock and the surprising emergence of Reynaldo López as a rotation stud.

While Laureano may prove to be a short-term solution, the Braves should be expected to make some new moves in the outfield. Marcell Ozuna is an option in an emergency situation, but he was clearly a liability the last time he was put on the field and he certainly shouldn’t be used as an option at center.

That leaves the Braves with Adam Duvall, Jared Kelenic and Laureano as the expected starters until Harris is healthy. All three players are solid defensively, but have been a liability at the plate at times. Atlanta should be expected to be active on the trade market and looking to add to the position group with multiple options available to Atlanta if they decide to pursue external replacements.

For now, though, Atlanta must settle for giving Laureano the chance to come back and play an important role on a team that injuries continue to bite.

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