The Atlanta Braves have spent the last few weeks of Spring Training dodging bullets. The injury bug has bit the Braves late in camp and it will cost catcher Sean Murphy the opening month of the season due to a cracked rib. Austin Riley survived an injury scare during camp and the Braves have avoided setbacks in the recoveries of Spencer Strider and Ronald Acuña Jr.
Every team plays this game of Frogger as they approach the end of Spring Training and it impacted Jurickson Profar when he jammed his left wrist while making a catch in a Grapefruit League on March 8. The injury put the Braves’ outfielder’s status for Opening Day in question but Atlanta got some big news as they arrived to camp on Monday morning.
Jurickson Profar Takes Batting Practice With Opening Day Approaching
According to The Atlanta Journal Constitution's Justin Toscano, Profar has taken batting practice as he recovers from his wrist injury. The plan is for Profar to work out on Wednesday and the Braves hope to get him into a few Grapefruit League games soon after.
It’s a positive report on Profar with less than two weeks until Opening Day. The Braves signed the 31-year-old to a three-year, $42 million contract last offseason after he hit .280 with 24 home runs, 85 RBI and 94 runs scored in 158 games with the San Diego Padres last season. The line helped him secure his first All-Star appearance but also put himself into the Braves’ uncertain future in the outfield to open next season..
FanGraphs’ depth chart currently has Profar listed as Atlanta’s leadoff hitter and left fielder and the Braves will need him as Acuña isn’t expected back until mid-to-late May. Profar also felt confident about his Opening Day status while talking with reporters last week.
“I’m very confident,” Profar said via MLB.com’s Mark Bowman. “I’m very, very confident. …If this happened during the season, I probably could have kept playing through it. But we are in Spring Training, and I’m going to do whatever the doctors and trainers tell me to do.”
The Braves are slated to travel west to take on the San Diego Padres on March 27.