Harris suffered a hamstring injury in Friday’s win over the Rays.
The news is not good for Atlanta Braves center fielder Michael Harris who is headed to the injured list after suffering a hamstring injury in the first inning of Friday’s win over the Tampa Bay Rays. Brian Snitker told reporters after the game that Harris will be placed on the injured list and will undergo an MRI Saturday.
#Braves will put Michael Harris II on the IL and have his hamstring MRI’d tomorrow.
— David O’Brien (@DOBrienATL) June 15, 2024
It is a disappointing result for Harris who looked like he was just starting to swing the bat better. Friday’s first inning single extended his hitting streak to five-straight games. He was 6-for-18 at the plate over that span. J.P. Martinez took over for Harris in center field.
It is unclear who may take the roster spot for the Braves. Forrest Wall is on the 40-man roster and is hitting .286/.398/.422 with a 120 wRC+ in 42 games for Gwinnett but is another left-handed bat and wouldn’t pair well with Martinez. Eli White is hitting .273/.386/.402 with a 111 wRC+ at Gwinnett. He isn’t on the 40-man roster but the Braves could create a spot by transferring Spencer Strider to the 60-day injured list. Ramon Laureano is another possibility and has played center earlier in his career but is probably better suited for a corner spot. Laureano signed a minor league deal with Atlanta after he was released by Cleveland and is 18-for-54 with three homers for Gwinnett. Laureano would also require a 40-man roster move. If it is Laureano, then it is possible that we see Jarred Kelenic or Adam Duvall get some time in center.