The Braves have battled with injuries this season, and as they look to find a true solution, Vaughn Grissom may be the key.
The Atlanta Braves are dealing with some injuries early this season, and fans have seen many new faces in new places. Orlando Arcia won the Shortstop battle in Spring Training, beating out Vaughn Grissom and Braden Shewmake. We still don’t have a real left fielder, Michael Harris II got injured, and the struggles amidst the rotation have been quite challenging so far. As of right now, nothing is certain in the Braves organization. This is a scary sight to fans most of the time, but it does seem to be working given Atlanta’s high expectations.
As of right now, the biggest issue in Atlanta is in left field. Everything else will fall into place as the team gets their players back from the IL. Regarding the problem in left field, outside observers are unsure what will happen. If I were to make a guess on what would make the most sense to me, I would bring Vaughn Grissom up and have him play left field.
Grissom has Shown Promise
Grissom could reasonably learn to play outfield on the fly. Although he doesn’t have the fielding ability of a Michael Harris II or Ronald Acuña Jr., he is tall and athletic enough where he will be far from a liability in left. During his time in the minors, Vaughn has shown off his skill at the plate. This season alone, he has an OPS over 1.100 in eight games.
This is a small sample size, but what he did in Spring Training shows that he will be able to maintain a batting average in the high .200s and that is something the Braves could definitely use at a time like this when their outfield is depleted and in need of some fresh bats.
Grissom is the Front Runner
Grissom moving up gives the Braves more than just some help in the outfield. He would provide some much-needed depth to the roster that seems quite injury-prone. With Grissom on the 40-man roster, it allows the Braves to have an option at all positions in the outfield, shortstop, and second base.
If you remember, when Grissom was playing so well last season, and Ozzie Albies came back, there were talks that he would be in the outfield at that time as well. Now that Atlanta has so much trouble keeping players healthy on the roster, they need all the run support they can get. Grissom is a solution to many problems that the Braves are currently facing; it is just a matter of whether the coaching staff and front office are ready for the move.
New Opportunity Comes to Light
I said during Spring Training there was a chance that this was all about the organization figuring out if Grissom was their long-term solution to shortstop. So far, Orlando Arcia seems to have read everyone’s doubts about him because that man is going bonkers so far this season. Posting a .316 BA and .892 OPS, Arcia is doing his very best to show that he truly is the solution to the hole at short.
The answer to me seems simple. The team is throwing people to the wolves in left field (it seems like anyways), so why not see if someone they know has a hot bat can be what they need out there? At the beginning of the season, it is time to try out new things. And aside from the service time situation, I see no downside to finding out if Grissom can be the answer the Braves need. He sure seems to be better than Marcell Ozuna and Eli White.
