Just when you think the season could not be really great for the Atlanta Braves’ hopes of a title run, the team is now expecting to see both Max Fried and Ozzie Albies out from their rotation after both players have suffered injuries that would definitely hamper their chances of winning in the game.

Atlanta has been gunning for the top spot in the NL East, with only a promising lead over the New York Mets and a big climb to pass the Philadelphia Phillies. Considering that the team has found ways to win in the past few weeks, losing both Albies and Fried might just actually dent their chances of winning. This is definitely a massive loss that will see them struggle to come up with a promising pace to keep their spot on the National League playoffs.

Last winning a title in 2021, the Atlanta Braves have made big runs in the previous seasons to deliver a run at the top of the league once more, which says a lot about their loss of Albies and Fried, which is definitely going to be quite a stretch with the way the second half of the season is headed for a different look.

Injuries on a Tough Stretch

Timing can be impeccable. And that can go on different ways with either the Braves clearly missing out their two stars for at least 15 days, which should definitely bring their winning chances to a lower rate. Atlanta has already placed Max Fried on the 15-day injury list with a left forearm neuritis. On the other hand, Ozzie Albies left the game against the St. Louis Cardinals with an injury on his left wrist.

Following post-game checkups, Albies was revealed to have suffered a fractured left wrist. He is expected to miss a total of eight weeks after he tried to tag out Michael Siani when the latter collided with his glove hand. The star quickly walked off the field with the rest of the team staff and did not return to the game. Braves catcher Travis d’Arnaud saw the whole ordeal as he made the throw to second after trying to nab Siani.

“The throw was up the second base line a little bit and Albies went to reach for the ball and the runner was there,” d’Arnaud said. “Right away he grabbed his hand or his wrist or whatever it was. It didn’t look good. I tried to walk out there and see if he was alright, but obviously it wasn’t good. He knew. He was walking off the field right away.”

Loss at the Wrong Time

The Braves didn’t just lose two of its key players in the game, they also lost their clash against the St. Louis Cardinals in a 6-2 affair. Atlanta scored only in the third and fifth inning, and it cannot be denied that losing both Albies and Fried proved to be quite an impactful factor in the game. Alec Burleson and Paul Goldschmidt even had homers in the game, which says a lot about the poor outing by the rest of the squad in the loss.

This is a tough break for the Braves, who lost two of their top stars in a crucial time when the club is thriving at the top of the league with their best-level performances. But who knows, maybe both players can return in time while the Braves hold the line to secure a playoff spot. That all remains to be seen as the season progresses with the Braves trying to make the most of their chances.