2:22pm: The Braves announced that Freeman has indeed been placed on the disabled list, though their release indicates that Freeman will miss “approximately 10 weeks.” The Braves added that Ruiz has been recalled from Triple-A to replace Freeman on the roster.
1:33pm: As the Braves feared, first baseman Freddie Freeman suffered a fractured wrist in last night’s game when he was hit on the left wrist by a 94 mph fastball from Aaron Loup, reports Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (Twitter link). Freeman is expected to miss at least eight weeks with the injury, though Rosenthal adds that he won’t require surgery to repair the injury.
The Braves, of course, aren’t contending for a division title (their current second-place status notwithstanding), but the injury derails an MVP-caliber season for the face of the franchise in Atlanta. Freeman has posted a sensational .341/.461/.748 batting line with 14 home runs, 11 doubles and a triple through his first 164 plate appearances of the season. Dating back to Opening Day 2016, in fact, Freeman’s park-adjusted offensive performance (162 wRC+) trails only Mike Trout among active players with at least 300 plate appearances.
[Related: Updated Atlanta Braves depth chart]
Looking to the Braves’ roster, it’s not clear who exactly will replace Freeman at first base. Atlanta’s bench doesn’t include any big leaguer with significant experience at the position, as the team’s four reserves are currently catcher Kurt Suzuki, infielder Johan Camargo and utilitymen Emilio Bonifacio and Danny Santana. First base options in the upper minors are scarce as well, though third base prospect Rio Ruiz worked out at first base during Spring Training, as David O’Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution recently noted (on Twitter). Theoretically, Ruiz and fellow infielder Jace Peterson (who played first last night following Freeman’s exit) could share duties there in the short-term.
FanRag’s Jon Heyman reported earlier today that the Braves were already discussing potential outside additions, though options aren’t exactly plentiful. The free-agent market doesn’t offer many options, either, though veterans James Loney and Ben Paulsen were released by the Tigers and Twins, respectively, earlier this month. Atlanta had Ryan Howard playing with its Triple-A affiliate on a minor league deal earlier this month, but he struggled at the dish and was also released. Fellow veteran Justin Morneau remains unsigned, but he hasn’t been playing regularly since suiting up for Team Canada in the 2017 World Baseball Classic.
As far as the trade market goes, the Braves likely don’t want to part with any significant prospects to fill a relatively short-term gap in what doesn’t look to be a winning season. Speaking from a purely speculative standpoint, Cardinals first baseman Matt Adams was shopped this past offseason and still doesn’t have a clear path to regular at-bats in St. Louis. Veteran Pedro Alvarez is currently with Baltimore’s Triple-A affiliate, though he’s struggled to a .174/.265/.289 batting line thus far. There are also numerous players with MLB experience that are currently on minor league deals and performing reasonably well at Triple-A, including Ji-Man Choi (Yankees), Efren Navarro (Tigers), Matt Hague (Twins) and Christian Walker (D-backs), the latter of whom was briefly property of the Braves this offseason. Certainly, none of the names listed will generate much excitement among Braves fans, though any could picked up as a depth option at a reasonably low cost.
Great… there goes the season. Thanks Toronto.
There’s always next year, Atlanta.
yup
For this year’s Braves, the season “went” around 25-Man Roster Time.
But you say one guy goes down and the season’s over? What about All That Depth the Braves’ system has…?
The season is over because Freeman was in a MVP race, and he just lost it. Freeman was all we had to watch.
Exactly.
Freddie’s a very good player having a very good year as of mid-May, but no one is getting the MVP for being the best guy on a 94-loss team.
Best guy on a 94 loss team? How about one of the best 1B in all of MLB, pretty sure they give MVP’s for that.
Mike Trout won it last year on an 89 loss team. Andre Dawson won MVP when his team came in last. If the guys puts up MVP numbers, he will win MVP. It’s that simple.
Arizona begs to differ
You are right. I stand corrected. Freeman is as good as Trout.
He doesn’t have to be better than Trout to win the MVP, but as the article states, Trout is the only better player since OD 2016 per park-adjusted offensive performance. And he didn’t get much protection (Kemp) until mid-2016. Though this has been a small sample-size in 2017, as a baseball fan, it would have been great to see what he could do with a full year, and some lineup protection, considering how well Kemp is hitting the ball.
I hope he’s able to hit half as well after the 10 weeks, though that’s doubtful.
No offense to Freeman, but Trout’s pedigree is on another level then Freeman’s. Freeman is a very good 1b. Not the best and certainly not amoung the top 10 best players in all of baseball.. Freeman is proly a top 25 best.
Trout’s pedigree is from New Jersey. Freeman’s pedigree is from southern California by way of Canada. Not sure about his lineage, but I think he would fall into the sporting category.
Freeman is by far the best first baseman.
Goldschmidt
Freeman has been Top 2 offensively speaking since the start of last season. He led the league in HR at the time of his injury. He had homered against every single team they have played this year. Seems pretty top 10 to me
@Teufelshunde4 “Freeman is proly a top 25 best.” Really? top 25 best? You’re either trolling, or you know nothing about baseball, which one is it?
To be fair, that Andre Dawson MVP was a joke. I think it’s fine to give the MVP to a player on a bad team, but that was just a terrible selection
No they dont give MVP’s for being just one of the best at a position. Not at all
They have the #1 farm, but there aren’t many 1B in the farm system, and most of the top prospects aren’t ready yet.
I realize it’s sarcasm but even if any of Atlanta’s top prospects were first baseman, which I don’t believe there are, you don’t just replace one of the best 1B in baseball with a minor leaguer. There are other teams in baseball who are one players injury away from their season being over, it’s not an unfathomable idea.
When a team signs a young star to a record extension, they don’t load up at that position for a reason. It’s not practical uses of resources, especially when 1B can be treated as a secondary spot for those that have live bats and issues with other positions. It’s the same reason CIN probably isn’t that deep at 1B minor-league options (Votto) or Giants at C minor-league options (Posey), etc.
Nah. Teams generally take best player available. Teams rarely draft first-base only players because they have nowhere to go, defensively. But surely there are players in the Braves system who can handle first base.
That’s what you get for taking Dickey from us!!
thanks aaron Loup you are indeed the man way to throw at people, and by that I mean on purpose
Stay classy bro
I was being sarcastic, Aaron Loup is a fool for throwing at someone intentionally
Didn’t look intentional tbh
It may not have looked intentional, but he himself had already hit Nick Markakis on Monday, and over 3 games, as a team, they had hit 7 of our batters. All of them may not have been intentional, but I find it hard to believe that many are all just accidents. Either that or they have the worst control of any pitching staff in all of baseball by a long shot
Aaron loup and Mike Bolsinger are not known for their pinpoint accuracy. This has been a problem for loup his whole career
Thanks a lot Toronto. Because you can’t field a competent pitching staff.
Braves’ fans probably shouldn’t be chastising another team for their inability to field a competent pitching staff…
Yeah at least the braves’ pitchers suck without hitting people.
braves aren’t trying to put out a competent pitching staff, because they are rebuilding, the blue jays aren’t rebuilding, it just makes them look worse
Ignore chester he’s just a troll
Yeah, anyone using facts to go against what you say is a troll….Guess I shouldn’t be surprised.
It makes them look worse because they have a better pitching staff than the team that that fan supports does? I don’t follow.
I see your posts. You’re a troll.. Stop getting defensive and embrace it.
I honestly agree with realgone2. I very rarely comment but I always go in the comments and see this Chester dude intentionally pissing people off with incorrect and outlandish statements. He/she really should lay off it a bit.
1st I’m not a braves fan and I’m certainly not a homer, 2nd, if people say something on this app that makes you mad, just don’t reply
7 hit batsmen in a 3 games and none of them intentional…? Braves fans have all the reason in the world to chastise a team’s rotation regardless of their own team’s rotation that has not retaliated. Yet.
thank you
Run
Our pitching staff hasn’t hit 7 people in 3 games.
Mon May 15 – HBP: Phillips (By Bolsinger); A. García (By Bolsinger); Peterson (By Bolsinger); Flowers (By Campos); Markakis (By Loup)
Tues May 16 – HBP: Flowers (By Tepera)
Wed May 17 – HBP: F. Freeman (By Loup) (fractured wrist – out 10 weeks)
Total = 7 in last 3 games. Claim none of them intentional. Check the box scores.
yea, most definitely hit 7 people in 3 games. lol
I’m talking about the braves pitching staff, they haven’t hit 7 people.
I mean, technically, they only hit 6 people – Flowers was hit twice.
Maybe to punish Toronto you can give Dickey back!!
Dickey has been a solid #4 this year
Watch the video. It wasn’t remotely intentional. Loup isn’t exactly Carlos Silva or Bob Tewksbury out there.
Yeah, it was a high inside fastball and Freeman started his swing, bringing his hands into the ball.
https://youtu.be/FMCvUcCSH64?t=18
Aaron Loup if you were man enough you would have reached out to Freddie Freeman and to the Braves and apologize for what you did. I bet Aaron Loup is very happy that he is not schedule to hit tonight.
threw an inside pitch? Go back to your safe space
Can’t figure out if sportsfan is a little kid, an old woman, or a foreign person that doesn’t fully understand baseball.
Can’t figure out what you are if you don’t fully understand that 7 hit batters in 3 games isn’t completely accidental. I think they are just butt hurt at losing 3 in a row. That’s why Bautista is over there flipping bats when his team is down by like 5
Ya their butt hurt about losing 3 in a row that’s why they hit 5 guys in the FIRST game. And why would they hit Atlanta on purpose, and not a team they’re battling for a wild card spot or division rival? I think it’s pretty obvious that Bolsinger and loup have little control, campos sucks and I’m assuming a pitch just got away from Tepera. There is absolutely no reason any were on purpose
Lots of “fans” here don’t know the difference between an inside pitch to a guy crowding the plate, and hitting a guy intentionally.
Sorry that a really good player is out for several weeks now, but this was not intentional, nor even careless on Loup’s part.
Literally the breaks of the game.
Some folks just must find someone to blame for anything that happens.
You know so much. Why are you wasting your time on MLB trade rumors and not in an executive position with an MLB club!?
Thanks for asking.
Bart Giamatti hired me years ago to help educate “fans” who don’t know the game.
You need to send your resume in. I’m sure radio shack’s manager will give you the day off to interview.
Where do I pay?
realgone2:
Thanks for proving my point.
Haha, the ‘I have no actual rebuttal” comment. Keep up the good work man, you are making yourself look oh so wise.
This is the pitch that hit him. https://youtu.be/FMCvUcCSH64?t=18
Dang it, I bet he could’ve hit 40 homeruns this season too. This will hurt Kemp and Markakis too. Freeman really is the main reason a lot of people are even watching the braves right now
Always liked Freddie, particularly since he played for Canada in the WBC to honor his mom – class move. Heal up, FF.
beam kevin pillar. there are no two ways around it.
Can’t, they suspended him 2 games. Probably so that we couldn’t
Crap, I was hoping this wouldn’t be the result. I love Freeman and he’s been having an MVP-calibre year (despite it being still relatively early).
Any update on Sean Rodriguez? I heard a lot of different reports, some said 4 months and some maybe the season.
He’s not playing again. This season or any other.
What is this based on?
Run also ignore this troll. He’s the alter ego of chesteraarthur.
I like how if you don’t agree with somebody they’re automatically trolls.
Rodriguez is a marginal player; he’s a utility guy who doesn’t particularly excel in any area of the game. Guys like that who miss entire seasons to injury? They generally don’t come back. I mean, maybe he has the Franklin Gutierrez comeback; but even that isn’t much.
Julio Teheran must also believe their season is over since he just gave up a free run to Toronto. Great justice there Julio, hope it was worth the 3 early runs
Not to mention his ballooning home ERA of 10+. A pitiful 9-0 thrashing on “Get-Even Day.”
Yeah, Julio really proved where his priorities are. And those of the Braves too.
p.s. Where are those piteous posters insisting that Teheran is an “Ace”?
He’s about #4 starter on his own sorry team (and pitching like Number Two if you know what I mean….).
10-plus home-field ERA indeed !
Julio is an Ace!!!
Glad I could help.
That was a nice hit to my fantasy team. Freeman is a stud and was putting up MVP numbers. Sucks to see this go down like this. There is no one behind him either. The braves just signed Loney
Note to ranting Braves fans:
“Freeman made it clear there was no reason to even speculate about whether Loup was doing anything more than just trying to throw an inside pitch.
“There was no intent,” Freeman said. “He was just trying to get me out. The best possible way to get me out is to pitch me inside. I’ll be the first to tell you that. He was just trying to do his job.”
From the horse’s mouth, c/o MLB.com
Are there any rebuttals? Denials? Conspiracy theories?
Dammit, Toronto paid Freeman to say that.
Again, you are welcome.
Flowers has played some 1st base before. Let him play 1st and see how he goes, and let Suzuki catch for the time being, although it appears they’re going to get Loney. If Morneau was available I’d get him over Loney, but maybe the $ are too high. What a depressive set of circumstances, I looked forward to watching Freeman each day. Freeman is a leader on this team, as well as being an excellent 1st baseman. I can only hope it won’t affect his future, but all injuries are complicated, especially hands, wrists, and fingers with a hitter.
Freeman does crowd the plate ala Rizzo. If you are a big league pitcher you have to pitch inside on these guys he’ll Rizzo’s hands hang out over the strike zone sometimes he gets hit on a strike. Would love to see the umps start calling that a strike when he gets hit.
How many braves got hbp in that series lol at least 10
Wait a minute: since when did Pedro get shipped to Triple A????????? He is batting a .320 on the O’s main roster! Where is this guy getting his facts l: a website from last year?