Injuries & Moves: Braves boost depth with pair of signings
LATEST NEWS
Guillorme signed a one-year, $1.1 million deal, and Ynoa avoided arbitration with a one-year, $825,000 deal. Guillorme, who produced a .675 OPS over the past three seasons with the Mets, will likely serve as Atlanta’s primary backup infielder. Ynoa missed last season while recovering from Tommy John surgery. He will provide starting pitching depth.
Dec. 30: LHP Chris Sale acquired from Red Sox for INF Vaughn Grissom
Atlanta pulled off a significant trade with Boston, adding veteran left-hander Sale, a seven-time All Star, in exchange for a promising young infielder in Grissom. The club hopes Sale can contribute on a regular basis in the starting rotation — which would be notable, since injuries limited him to just 11 starts from 2020-22.
“There’s health history, and I understand that’s going to be a topic,” Braves president of baseball operations Alex Anthopoulos said. “But we think he’s a playoff-caliber starter and that’s what we were in the market for this offseason. We’ll make sure to do what we can to keep him on the mound.”
INJURY UPDATES
RHP Charlie Morton (right index finger sprain)
Expected return: 2024
Morton was not available during the National League Division Series; had the Braves made the NL Championship Series, they had hoped he’d be available by then. The veteran felt finger discomfort with one out in the first inning of his Sept. 22 start at Nationals Park. He didn’t return for the start of the second inning. An MRI exam confirmed the hurler isn’t dealing with anything more significant than a sprain.
RHP Jackson Stephens (right elbow inflammation)
Expected return: 2024
Stephens pitched two scoreless innings with two strikeouts in his appearance against the Nationals on Sept. 30. In five games this season, the right-hander had a 3.00 ERA with 11 strikeouts across 12 innings.
LHP Dylan Lee (left shoulder inflammation)
Expected return: 2024
Lee missed more than three months with a shoulder ailment before returning to Atlanta’s roster at the start of September. He made four appearances before being placed back on the injured list. He was transferred to the 60-day IL on Sept. 17.
LHP Kolby Allard (left shoulder nerve inflammation)
Expected return: 2024
Allard exited in the second inning against the White Sox on July 16 and was placed on the 60-day injured list, retroactive to July 17, with left shoulder nerve inflammation. It turned out to be a season-ending injury for Allard, who opened the season on the 60-day IL with an oblique strain.