Jose Peraza and Christian Bethancourt placed on minor league disabled list

While the Major League edition of the Atlanta Braves is enjoying a much needed hot streak with four consecutive victories, the organization took a bit of a hit on Tuesday morning. The two best position players in the minor league system, infielder Jose Peraza and catcher Christian Bethancourt, were both placed on the disabled list with somewhat mild injuries.

Peraza, who has been rocketing up prospect lists at the age of 20, has been out of the lineup for about a week with the groin issue, and the team decided to play it safe with their rising stud. In nearly 500 plate appearances across two levels this season, the middle infielder is hitting .341, and Peraza possesses blinding speed that has helped to net him 60 (!) stolen bases in just 108 games.

The 22-year-old Bethancourt may be more of a household name, but his bat has struggled in recent seasons, and only a high-end defensive profile (including an elite arm) has kept him afloat. For the season, Bethancourt has posted just a .685 OPS at triple-A in 333 plate appearances, and while he didn’t embarrass himself during a brief stint in Atlanta, the bat just doesn’t play right now.

Jose Peraza is on a different level than Christian Bethancourt at this point, but the organization is certainly counting on both players to some degree, and the situation is worth monitoring over the next few days.