With a .068 average at the plate and three errors in the field, Braves fans have been wondering what’s wrong with Eddie Rosario. News broke last night that perhaps offers an explanation as the 2021 NLCS MVP & recipient of a 2-year deal in the offseason will miss an extended period of time following eye surgery to repair blurred vision and swelling in his right retina.
While the Braves haven’t specified a timeline for Rosario’s return, multiple reports say he’ll be out for somewhere between 8-12 weeks. So, what will the Braves do to replace Rosario in the lineup?
The obvious answer to the question is currently in Gwinnett. Finishing up his road back from a torn ACL, Ronald Acuna Jr. is scheduled to return to the Braves on May 6, but his performance during his AAA assignment may signify that he can come back sooner. Over the weekend, manager Brian Snitker did state that the original target date is not set in stone as Acuna is batting .417 with a pair of stolen bases.
In the meantime, tonight’s lineup for the series opener against the Cubs could offer some insight into Snitker’s plan to replace Rosario. Travis Demeritte, who was recently called up when Austin Riley was placed on the paternity list, will get the start in right field.
Orlando Arcia and Guillermo Heredia also offer Snitker options in the outfield, but combined with free-agent acquisition Alex Dickerson, the trio isn’t exactly lighting things up in the batter's box. Arcia leads the way with a .269 batting average while Dickerson—primarily a DH—is barely outpacing Rosario with a .080 average.
Another option for the Braves could be calling Michael Harris II up from AA Mississippi. Ranked as the top prospect in the Braves farm system, Harris is batting .317 this season and showed flashes with the big league squad in spring training. Drew Waters, another highly-touted prospect in AAA, has been battling a hamstring injury to start the 2022 season.
Without Rosario, the Braves will attempt to pick up their first series win of the season with Chicago coming to town.