Michael Harris Is Better Than Ever
Braves outfielder Michael Harris II picked up four hits on Friday against the Dodgers, pushing his batting average back over .300. The 25-year-old has a career-best 139 wRC+ through 38 games. Harris, already in his fifth big-league season, seems to be making good on the prospect pedigree that had him atop Atlanta’s system before his 2022 debut.
Harris was just 21 years old when he was handed the Braves’ everyday center fielder gig. He performed well in his first taste of the majors, slashing .297/.339/.514 across 441 plate appearances. He fell just one homer shy of a 20/20 campaign. Harris earned NL Rookie of the Year honors, beating out teammate Spencer Strider.
Atlanta signed Harris to an eight-year, $72MM extension in August of that first season. It looked like a good bit of business for both sides. Harris secured a significant payday after just four months as a big leaguer. The Braves locked down a promising young outfielder for the rest of the decade. With Ronald Acuna Jr. and Ozzie Albies also signed to relatively inexpensive long-term deals, the organization had its core in place for the foreseeable future.
Harris took a slight step back in the power department in 2023, but was still 16% better than league average at the plate. He improved his strikeout rate to 18.7%, down from 24.3% as a rookie. Harris regressed again in 2024. His wRC+ slipped below 100 for the first time. After two years hitting above .290, Harris hit .264 in 110 games. He missed a significant chunk of the year with a hamstring injury.
The 2025 campaign was a bounce-back from a health perspective. Harris played a career-high 160 games. The volume helped him finally reach his first 20/20 season. The rate stats were concerning, though. Harris slashed .249/.268/.409 across 641 plate appearances. His walk rate, already among the lowest in the league, fell to 2.5%. Harris chased pitches out of the strike zone more than ever.
The game plan against Harris was pretty clear last year. Pitchers attacked him with four-seamers and sinkers. Harris hammered fastballs as a rookie, but began to struggle against the heat. He posted a career-worst -4 Run Value vs. four-seamers in 2025. Sinkers were an even bigger issue. No hitter performed worse on any pitch than Harris against sinkers, with a league-low -17 Run Value. It was the worst mark since Tigers infielder Jonathan Schoop posted a -18 Run Value against four-seamers in 2022. Unsurprisingly, Harris saw sinkers at a career-high 20.9% clip.
Getting exploited by fastballs is a big problem at the highest level. It can be a career-ending flaw. Harris was on the verge of being a glove-only asset stuck at the bottom of the lineup. He seems to have solved his fastball issues in 2026. He’s hitting .318 against sinkers this season. He’s also obliterating four-seamers, with a .700 SLG and a silly 70.6% hard-hit rate. Harris is doing damage like never before, regardless of pitch type. He ranks in the 99th percentile in hard-hit rate and average exit velocity. Harris has a robust .326 xBA and a hefty .614 xSLG.
Harris has made subtle tweaks to his stance and setup. He’s moved up in the box and closer to the plate. His feet are a couple of inches further apart than last year. He’s also opened his stance by seven degrees compared to 2025. The adjustments, combined with career highs in bat speed (75.1 mph) and fast swing rate (51.4%), have produced a massive 16.5% barrel rate and a career-best 19.2% pulled air rate.
There are still some process flaws here. Harris is once again chasing more than ever. He’s offering at 43.1% of pitches outside of the strike zone, the eighth-highest mark among qualified hitters. Harris’ 51% groundball rate is his highest since 2022. And while he’s hit safely at a solid rate against sinkers, it’s been strictly singles. Those are more nitpicks than major concerns, though.
The quad injury has sapped Harris’ speed, which might cost him a shot at another 20/20 season, but the power looks legit. Health permitting, he should cruise past his career high of 20 home runs. The adjustments he’s made this year suggest he’s back to being an offensive force in a lineup that looks like one of the best in baseball.
Photo courtesy of Brett Davis, Imagn Images
Braves Select Luke Williams
The Braves announced a quartet of roster moves today, including the news that Michael Harris II has been placed on the team’s paternity list. Utilityman Luke Williams‘ contract has been selected from Triple-A Gwinnett to take Harris’ spot on the active roster, and Atlanta moved left-hander Danny Young from the 15-day IL to the 60-day injured list to create a 40-man roster spot. Right-hander Daysbel Hernandez was also reinstated from the 15-day IL and optioned to Gwinnett.
Williams has played for five different teams over his 221 career big league games, but he has spent the better part of the last three seasons (and his last 80 MLB games) with Atlanta. Though he has hit only .151/.213/.209 over 95 plate appearances in those 80 games, Williams has been utilized in a super-sub role, seeing time at all four infield positions, in left field, and even a few pitching appearances in a mop-up capacity.
Harris figures to be back in a few days after celebrating the new arrival to his family, so Williams will likely find himself designated for assignment in short order. Williams is out of minor league options, which is why the Braves had to outright Williams a few times last season in order to send him back to Triple-A.
Young had Tommy John surgery last May, and subsequently isn’t expected to be available to pitch until at least July. The Mets non-tendered Young in November and the Braves signed the southpaw to a split contract, with an eye towards eventually moving him to the 60-day IL once a 40-man spot needed to be opened. Hernandez began the season on Atlanta’s 15-day IL due to a sebaceous cyst in his throwing shoulder, and he’ll now continue to work at Triple-A until a need develops in the big league bullpen.
Braves Outright Parker Dunshee
August 16: Dunshee went unclaimed on waivers and was sent outright to Triple-A Gwinnett, tweets David O’Brien of the Athletic. Since this is his first career outright, he’ll remain in the organization without carrying a 40-man roster spot. The Wake Forest product has the necessary minor league time to become a free agent in the offseason unless the Braves reselect his contract.
August 14: The Braves announced today that outfielder Michael Harris II has been reinstated from the 60-day injured list, as was expected. Outfielder Eli White was optioned to Triple-A to open an active roster spot while right-hander Parker Dunshee was designated for assignment in a corresponding 40-man move.
Dunshee, 29, just had his contract selected last week, his first time on a big league roster in his career. In Thursday’s game, Charlie Morton had a rough outing, allowing eight earned runs in 2 2/3 innings. Dunshee was sent in for some mop-up duty and ate up 2 1/3 innings but allowed five earned runs in the process. He was optioned to the minors the next day, meaning he’s currently sitting on an unsightly 19.29 earned run average in his very brief MLB career.
The trade deadline has now passed, so Atlanta will be putting Dunshee on waivers at some point in the coming days. Perhaps some club will be intrigued by his solid results in recent years, major league debut notwithstanding. Dating back to the start of 2023, he has thrown 112 minor league innings with a 2.81 ERA. His 10.3% walk rate in that time is a bit on the high side but he has struck out 29.4% of batters faced. He has a full slate of options and essentially no service time.
He was drafted by Oakland and was a somewhat notable starting pitching prospect a few years ago but his results tailed off as he hit the upper levels of the minors. He’s been in more of a relief role recently which seems to have led to better numbers and could perhaps lead to an upcoming waiver claim.
Atlanta will be hoping that the return of Harris is the spark that incites a turnaround. They have been dropping in the standings throughout the summer and are currently 63-56. That puts them four games back of the Padres and Diamondbacks, who are tied for the top two Wild Card spots in the National League. Atlanta still has the final spot but the Mets are just two games back and there are several other clubs within striking distance.
Much of Atlanta’s struggles have been related to injuries. Ronald Acuña Jr. is out for the year after yet another ACL tear, this time in his left knee. Ozzie Albies has been out of action for about a month due to a left wrist fracture and Harris has missed two months due to a strained left hamstring. That’s on top of several notable injuries to the pitching staff.
All that has led the club to turn to veteran fill-ins like Whit Merrifield, Ramón Laureano, Eddie Rosario and Adam Duvall. The first two have been passable this year but the other two have struggled significantly. Rosario has already been released but Duvall is still clinging to his roster spot despite a .178/.240/.315 batting line. Among big league players with at least 300 plate appearances this year, the only one with a worse wRC+ than Duvall’s 53 is Rosario.
Though Duvall is still holding onto his roster spot, Harris should be able to upgrade the team simply by taking his playing time. Before landing on the IL, Harris was himself struggling, having hit .250/.295/.358 for a wRC+ of 80. But he was hitting .295/.334/.494 for a 124 wRC+ coming into the year and even the slumping version of Harris would still be far stronger than Duvall’s season so far.
Braves Select Zach Logue
Between games of today’s doubleheader, the Braves announced that they have selected the contract of left-hander Zach Logue. Righty Allan Winans was optioned to Triple-A Gwinnett in a corresponding move while outfielder Michael Harris II was transferred to the 60-day injured list to open a 40-man spot. Atlanta also announced righty Daysbel Hernández as their 27th man for the doubleheader, though the second contest of that twin bill was postponed after these roster moves were announced.
Logue, 28, signed a minor league deal with Atlanta in the offseason and has been working in a swing role in the minors this year. He has tossed 76 2/3 innings on the farm over 19 appearances, 11 of those being starts. He has allowed 2.93 earned runs per nine innings with a 23.5% strikeout rate and 6.8% walk rate.
That will get him back to the big leagues, perhaps to provide some length out of the bullpen. Yesterday’s game against the Reds was postponed by the weather, which led to today’s planned doubleheader. Since Atlanta also played a twin bill on Saturday against the Cardinals, it was shaping up to be quite a week, though today’s second contest has now been banged as well.
Whenever Logue gets into a game, he’ll be adding to a track record that includes 68 innings with the Athletics and Tigers. He has a 6.88 ERA in that fairly small sample of work. His minor league work has been better at times and he was once a notable prospect in the Blue Jays’ system, going to the A’s in the Matt Chapman trade.
Logue had a 3.67 ERA on the farm in 2021, striking out 28.2% of batters faced while giving out walks at just a 5.3% clip over 125 innings. It was after that season that he was flipped to Oakland but then he posted a 6.79 ERA in the majors and a mark of 8.12 in Triple-A. He went to the Tigers on waivers and continued struggling in 2023, with a 7.36 ERA in the bigs and 6.58 ERA in Triple-A.
But after two rough years, he seems to be back in good form here in 2024. He can cover some innings out of the bullpen and still has an option that Atlanta could use to send him back down to the minors. He has less than a year of service time and could be retained for future seasons if he continues hanging onto his 40-man spot.
As for Harris, he’s been on the injured list since the middle of June due to a Grade 2 hamstring strain. He’ll now be ineligible to be reinstated until 60 days from that initial IL placement, which would be the middle of August. He still has yet to begin a rehab assignment and would likely need some time to get back in game shape even if he were cleared to play in the near future.
MLBTR Podcast: José Abreu’s Release, Betts and Yamamoto Hit The IL And Even More Injuries
The latest episode of the MLB Trade Rumors Podcast is now live on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you get your podcasts! Make sure you subscribe as well! You can also use the player at this link to listen, if you don’t use Spotify or Apple for podcasts.
This week, host Darragh McDonald is joined by Steve Adams of MLB Trade Rumors to discuss…
- The Astros releasing José Abreu (2:25)
- The Dodgers dealing with injuries to Mookie Betts and Yoshinobu Yamamoto (12:30)
- The Yankees are getting Gerrit Cole back but lost Anthony Rizzo (18:25)
- The Braves lose another outfielder with Michael Harris II hitting the injured list (26:55)
- The sad news of Willie Mays passing came out during recording (30:10)
Plus, we answer your questions, including…
- Do the Giants have a chance of getting Pete Alonso? Or will the Mets make additions if they carry the power of Grimace into the deadline? (32:15)
- How should the Nationals address their outfield surplus? And where did all these good pitchers come from? (42:35)
- What are the chances the White Sox package Luis Robert Jr. and Garrett Crochet at the deadline? And if they trade Crochet and Erick Fedde, how will they fill the rotation after? (49:55)
Check out our past episodes!
- Injured Astros, The Chances Of Bad Teams Rebounding In 2025 And More – listen here
- Gambling Scandal, The State Of The Blue Jays And The Orioles’ Rotation Depth – listen here
- Ángel Hernández Retires, Ronald Acuña Jr. Out For The Season And Roki Sasaki’s Potential Posting – listen here
The podcast intro and outro song “So Long” is provided courtesy of the band Showoff. Check out their Facebook page here!
Braves Place Michael Harris On IL With Grade 2 Hamstring Strain, Select Ramon Laureano
6:15pm: Harris has been diagnosed with a Grade 2 strain in his hamstring, Snitker told reporters (including MLB.com’s Mark Bowman) this afternoon. Snitker noted that there is no clear timeline for Harris’s return to action beyond the fact that he will be out for “a long time.”
JUNE 15, 9:26am: The Braves officially placed Harris on the 10-day IL, with the injury termed a left hamstring strain. Laureano’s contract was selected to the 26-man roster, and Strider was moved to the 60-day IL to open up a 40-man roster spot.
JUNE 14: The Braves will place Michael Harris II on the 10-day injured list tomorrow, manager Brian Snitker told reporters (X link via Gabe Burns of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution). Atlanta’s center fielder came up lame while running the bases in tonight’s win over the Rays. He left the game with what the team called left hamstring tightness.
Harris will go for an MRI on Saturday to determine the extent of the injury. It is evidently serious enough for the Braves to rule Harris out for at least 10 days before the imaging. It seems likely he’ll be diagnosed with a strain of some degree, though that’ll be clearer over the weekend.
The former Rookie of the Year has started all 67 games in center field. J.P. Martínez came off the bench to handle the position tonight, the first time anyone other than Harris has played a single center field inning for Atlanta this year. Harris hasn’t had a great third MLB season, turning in a .250/.295/.358 batting line through 278 trips to the plate. He’d been an above-average hitter in each of his first two campaigns, rebounding from a slow start last season with a massive .325/.356/.522 showing in the second half.
Even with Harris struggling at the plate, he’s a tough player to replace. He’s an anchor in the outfield as one of the sport’s top defensive center fielders. The Braves don’t have a clear option to step into center field in his stead. Martínez will probably get the first crack at it, but he’s a 28-year-old rookie with 53 MLB plate appearances under his belt. Atlanta acquired the Cuban-born outfielder in a minor trade with the Rangers over the winter. Martínez has spent the bulk of the season at Triple-A Gwinnett, hitting .265/.337/.394 with a 25.8% strikeout rate across 190 plate appearances.
Snitker didn’t announce who would replace Harris on the roster. David O’Brien of the Athletic observes (on X) that Ramón Laureano was pulled midway through tonight’s game for Gwinnett. Laureano signed a minor league deal a couple weeks ago, shortly after he was released by the Guardians. He has plenty of center field experience and could see some action there, but he has primarily been a corner outfielder over the last three seasons.
Laureano didn’t hit at all for Cleveland early in the season. The right-handed hitter fanned in 38.6% of his plate appearances en route to a .143/.265/.229 slash line over 31 games. Laureano has been on a tear in Gwinnett, carrying a .333/.403/.593 line with a trio of homers into tonight’s action. Atlanta would need to add him to the 40-man roster to bring him up. That’s not much of an issue, as the Braves can move Spencer Strider to the 60-day injured list whenever they need to open a 40-man spot.
If Harris is out for an extended stretch, that would only increase the urgency for the Braves to acquire outfield help at the deadline. That already looked like a priority once Atlanta lost Ronald Acuña Jr. to another ACL tear. They’ve been forced to rely on both Adam Duvall and Jarred Kelenic as everyday players (instead of their planned left field platoon) since Acuña went down.
Michael Harris II Has Built On His Rookie Of The Year Campaign
The breakout performance of center fielder Michael Harris II was one of the most exciting storylines for the Braves last season. The 21-year-old rookie was called up to the big leagues at the end of May in 2022 and never looked back, slashing a fantastic .297/.339/.514 in 441 trips to the plate while swiping 20 bases and playing excellent defense in center field. That performance earned him NL Rookie of the Year honors in addition to a few downballot MVP votes, despite the youngster only appearing in 114 games that season.
The Braves saw enough in Harris’s performance to ink the youngster to an eight-year, $72MM extension before his rookie season had even come to a close, and it’s easy to see why. After all, Harris’ 134 wRC+ ranked in the top-25 among all major league hitters with at least 400 plate appearances last year, and his defense in center field was nothing short of superlative. Only Victor Robles, Myles Straw, and Michael A. Taylor outperformed Harris’s +8 Defensive Runs Saved last year among center fielders, while his +7 Outs Above Average left Harris tied with Cody Bellinger and Alek Thomas for sixth-most among center fielders with at least 250 attempts last year.
That being said, there were potential red flags in Harris’s profile last season that made it fair to wonder if he could replicate his excellent offensive season going forward. Of those, the biggest one was perhaps his strikeout rate. Of the 36 players who posted a wRC+ higher than 130 last season (min. 400 PA), just three of them struck out more often than Harris’s 24.3% rate: Aaron Judge, Mike Trout, and Julio Rodriguez. Harris, who hit 19 home runs in 2022 and posted an ISO of just .217, did not have the titanic power of that aforementioned trio with which to make up for his swing and miss tendencies. In addition, Harris’s 4.8% walk rate was by far the lowest of the bunch. In fact, Harris actually ranked in just the 11th percentile in all of baseball last year in terms of walk rate, per Statcast.
It’s easy to see why Harris was striking out so much. Harris swung at a whopping 41.7% of pitches he saw outside of the strike zone while making contact on just 59.7% of those swings. Only Javier Baez, Nick Castellanos, and Michael Chavis swung and missed at more pitches outside of the zone last year. Harris’s free-swinging approach isn’t helped by pitches in the zone much, either. The youngster posted a roughly average 67.9% swing rate on pitches inside the zone, and his 86.2% contact rate on pitches in the zone was actually slightly below league average last year. Between Harris’s reckless swing decisions and middling power numbers, it was easy to see how he could regress significantly headed into 2023. Advanced metrics agreed with that assessment, as Harris’s .368 wOBA noticeably outstripped his .335 xwOBA in 2022.
Early in the 2023 campaign, it appeared that Harris was indeed destined for a serious sophomore slump. After missing most of April due to a back injury, Harris looked brutal at the plate through the beginning of June. In his first 138 plate appearances of the season, Harris posted a brutal .163/.246/.244 slash line with a 25.4% strikeout rate and just two home runs. That being said, he was still playing his typical excellent defense and had an uncharacteristically low .207 BABIP. That was enough for the Braves to stick with their struggling youngster despite his abysmal start with the bat.
The club’s patience paid off, as Harris hit a phenomenal .335/.360/.552 the rest of the way. That impressive slash line is good for a 142 wRC+, the sixteenth-best figure in the majors over that span and on par with the likes of Bellinger and Bryce Harper. Perhaps most exciting is Harris’s improvement in terms of strikeout rate, as he punched out in just 16.5% of his plate appearances during that 100-game stretch. While Harris continued to swing too often- his 42.3% swing rate on pitches outside of the strike zone was ninth-highest in the majors, even during that torrid stretch- he made far more contact on those swings. Harris made contact on a whopping 69.8% of swings on pitches outside the strike zone while posting a 89.1% contact rate on pitches in the zone.
Taken together, Harris’s improvements in contact rate allowed him to post a strikeout rate of just 18.7% on the year good for the 71st percentile among qualified hitters. Though his cold stretch to open the year left his overall season numbers to fall short of his rookie season, as he posted a wRC+ of just 115 on the year, Harris’s peripherals in 2023 are a far better match for his production, indicating he should be able to sustain this level of offensive production going forward. In fact, Harris’s .345 wOBA in 2023 is actually ten points lower than his .355 xwOBA, indicating there could even be a small amount of positive regression in Harris’s future, if he’s able to build on his improved contact rates in 2024.
NL Notes: Mays, Harris, Azocar, Carrasco, Syndergaard
Happy birthday to the legendary Willie Mays, who turns 92 years old today. All 22 seasons and 2992 games of Mays’ MLB career was spent in the National League, mostly with the New York/San Francisco Giants and then parts of his two last seasons back in the Big Apple with the Mets. Among players who played exclusively in the NL during their career, only Pete Rose and Stan Musial had more games in the Senior Circuit than Mays.
Let’s say hey to these items from around the NL….
- Michael Harris II made his return to the Braves‘ lineup tonight, back in his customary spot in center field after missing Atlanta’s previous two games. There was some concern after Harris left Wednesday’s game with a jammed right knee, but he was able to avoid both the injured list and a significant layoff, even though he’ll at least temporarily be placing with a knee brace. Harris told The Athletic’s David O’Brien and other reporters that running with the brace won’t slow him down, though he is a little uncertain about how his sliding might be impacted. A lower back strain already sent Harris to the IL earlier this season, and today marks only the 13th game of 2023 for the reigning NL Rookie Of The Year.
- Padres outfielder Jose Azocar told reporters (including Jeff Sanders of the San Diego Union-Tribune) that he received a cortisone shot in his bothersome left elbow, but an MRI revealed only inflammation. Azocar was retroactively placed on the 10-day IL on May 3, and manager Bob Melvin thinks the outfielder might be able to resume baseball activities within a few days’ time. Azocar has a modest .244/.262/.293 slash line over 45 plate appearances, as the backup has made a few extra starts due to other injuries in the Padres’ outfield and the remaining games on Fernando Tatis Jr.‘s suspension.
- Carlos Carrasco has hit another health setback, as Mets GM Billy Eppler and manager Buck Showalter told reporters (including Abbey Mastracco of the New York Daily News) that the right-hander is battling an illness. This has pushed back plans to start a rehab assignment for Carrasco this weekend, as the veteran continues to work his way back from a bone spur in his throwing elbow. Carrasco struggled to an 8.56 ERA over his first three starts and 13 2/3 innings before going on the IL.
- It has also been a tough road for Noah Syndergaard in 2023, as his Dodgers tenure has begun with a 6.32 ERA over his first six starts and 31 1/3 innings since signing a one-year, $13MM free agent deal. However, manager Dave Roberts told the Orange County Register’s Bill Plunkett and other reporters that even as L.A. continues to juggle its rotation, the club isn’t considering removing Syndergaard from the starting five. The righty will get some extra time between starts, with Syndergaard projected for an eight-day break before his next scheduled outing on Tuesday. Both Michael Grove and Gavin Stone made some starts while Tony Gonsolin was on the injured list, but with Gonsolin now back and Grove now on the IL with a groin injury, the Dodgers will now stick with a normal five-man rotation. Roberts said that rather than keep Stone in the majors for another start and a brief shift to a six-man rotation, “there’s maybe a potential cost of getting guys out of their rhythm” given that Los Angeles also has an off-day on Thursday.
Braves Place Kyle Wright On 15-Day Injured List
May 4: As expected, the Braves announced that Wright has been placed on the 15-day IL and that Dodd has been recalled in his place. The team classified Wright’s injury as right shoulder inflammation.
May 3: Braves right-hander Kyle Wright departed tonight’s game after throwing just 55 pitches in two-plus innings, with the club later announcing his ailment as right shoulder soreness. Manager Brian Snitker later told reporters, including David O’Brien of The Athletic, that Wright will go on the 15-day injured list.
To this point, the severity of Wright’s injury isn’t clear, but it’s noteworthy as an ongoing issue. He also dealt with some shoulder soreness during Spring Training, which put him behind schedule and caused him to start the season on the injured list. He eventually was activated and made five starts, including tonight, but will now return to the IL to figure out what’s going on with his shoulder.
Even if that ultimately ends up being a minor issue, the club will need to proceed without him for the next couple of weeks at least. Wright got some brief stints in the majors in each year from 2018 to 2021 but finally broke out last year by posting a 3.19 ERA in 180 1/3 innings. His 23.6% strikeout rate was right around league average but his 55.6% ground ball rate was quite strong.
The rotation should still be in decent shape, even without Wright’s contributions. Spencer Strider, Charlie Morton and Max Fried are well established and Bryce Elder seems to be running with his opportunity so far this year by posting a 1.75 ERA through six starts.
Even before the injury to Wright, the club was planning to give a spot start to Dylan Dodd, per Justin Toscano of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. That was to give everyone an extra day of rest after they played a double-header earlier this week, but Dodd could potentially stick around after that. He made two starts earlier this year, allowing just one earned run in the first but seven in the second. He has a 4.91 ERA in three Triple-A starts on the year. If Dodd isn’t kept around for the next few weeks, the club also has Michael Soroka and Jared Shuster as options on the 40-man roster.
Atlanta also got a bit of a scare when outfielder Michael Harris II departed with an apparent knee injury. The news there is a bit more pleasant as Snitker says they aren’t currently planning to put him on the injured list but will evaluate him some more tomorrow. He’s been struggling this year but in a small sample of just 38 plate appearances due to having spent about three weeks on the IL with a back strain. Last year, he hit 19 home runs, slashed .297/.339/.514, stole 20 bases and provided excellent center field defense en route to winning National League Rookie of the Year honors.
Braves Activate Michael Harris II
The Braves announced this morning that they’ve reinstated reigning NL Rookie of the Year Michael Harris II from the injured list. Atlanta optioned outfielders Nick Solak and Eli White (who’d been on the paternity list but was first reinstated) to Triple-A Gwinnett to open a spot on the active roster.
Harris played in just seven games this season before landing on the 10-day IL due to a lower back strain. While initial indications from the team were that Harris could be back after only a minimum stay on the IL, he wound up missing about three weeks of action due to the issue. His absence hasn’t done much to slow down a deep and talented Braves roster, as Atlanta currently sits atop the NL East with a 17-9 record, holding a two-game lead over second-place New York and a four-game lead over both Miami and Philadelphia, who’ll head into the weekend at 13-13.
The return of Harris figures to push Sam Hilliard from center field to left field somewhat regularly, with Kevin Pillar and Eddie Rosario also mixing in at the position. Hilliard, in particular, has been a key contributor in Harris’ absence, batting .296/.367/.537 with three home runs, four stolen bases and solid glovework in center field.
That said, Hilliard has also punched out in a mammoth 41.7% of his plate appearances (25 of 60) and is currently sporting a .500 average on balls in play that is sure to regress over time. Hilliard rarely chases off the plate (21%), but when he does, his 31% contact rate is the second-lowest mark in all of baseball (min. 60 plate appearances). His 70% contact rate on pitches within the zone is the third-lowest among that same subset, and his overall 58.6% contact rate leads only Giants Rule 5 catcher/outfielder Blake Sabol. Strikeout issues are nothing new for Hilliard, who entered the season with a career 32.7% rate in 639 plate appearances with the Rockies.
None of Pillar (.227/.277/.341), Rosario (.222/.263/.417) or Marcell Ozuna (.085/.194/.203) are hitting well this year. The Braves are winning anyway, and particularly now with Harris returning, they can afford to see if Hilliard can improve his contact skills or if one or more of those three struggling veterans can turn things around to help solidify the team’s outlook in left field and at designated hitter. If not, those could be potential areas of focus at this summer’s trade deadline.
Turning back to the 22-year-old Harris, he went just 5-for-23 to open the season. However, he was of course nothing short of brilliant as a rookie, batting .297/.339/.514 with 19 homers and 20 steals in 114 games en route to the aforementioned Rookie of the Year honors. He went 1-for-7 with a pair of walks, three strikeouts and a stolen base in two Triple-A rehab games before this morning’s reinstatement from the injured list. Harris is in the first season of an eight-year, $72MM extension he signed last summer; the contract spans the 2023-30 seasons and contains club options for the 2031 and 2032 campaigns.