When fully healthy, the Atlanta Braves outfield should be one of the biggest strengths of the team. Furthermore, it has the makings of one of the best in all of baseball. This will have to wait, however, as superstar Ronald Acuña Jr. won’t make his season debut until late April or May.
Profar Has A Wrist Injury, But Appears To Be Fine
Left fielder Jurickson Profar, who was brought in this offseason on a 3-year, $42 million deal, hurt his wrist diving for a fly ball in Saturday’s game against the Pittsburgh Pirates. Braves fans’ stomachs dropped at the news, no doubt still traumatized from last year’s injury-riddled season debacle.
The initial diagnosis was a jam, and Profar headed back to Atlanta for further testing, where a CT scan revealed no more than a bone bruise, per Mark Bowman of MLB.com. Braves fans can breathe a massive sigh of relief as the Curaçaoan will likely be ready for Opening Day now. This is an extremely positive development, as Atlanta will already be without two starters (Ronald Acuña Jr. and Sean Murphy). Profar was signed to provide lineup stability coming off an All-Star season with the San Diego Padres, where he posted an excellent .280/.380/.459 slash line with 24 home runs.
Jurickson Profar’s CT Scan showed a bone bruise. The expectation is he’ll be ready for Opening Day.
— Mark Bowman (@mlbbowman) March 9, 2025
Other Braves Outfielders Looking Good So Far This Spring
Jarred Kelenic and Bryan De La Cruz are expected to platoon in right field until Acuña comes back, with Kelenic starting against righties and De La Cruz against lefties. Early returns this spring have been positive.
Kelenic has a 1.081 OPS in 17 at-bats with two long home runs. This is a great sign for the former top prospect, who recently said he spent last year battling several injuries that affected his performance. On Friday, his homer of Bailey Ober of the Twins was an absolute bomb.
Jarred Kelenic – Atlanta Braves (2)* pic.twitter.com/xxIa8xr62z
— MLB HR Videos (@MLBHRVideos) March 8, 2025
Bryan De La Cruz is off to a similarly hot start in Spring Training. He’s hitting .368 batting average in 19 at-bats through Saturday’s game. De La Cruz was signed for depth this offseason after spending 2024 with the Marlins and Pirates.
Other Notes
There are no questions about star center fielder Michael Harris II. Coming into the season healthy after several injuries over the last two years, many are expecting a big breakout at the plate to go with his trademark elite defense. Harris is just 3 for 18 so far this spring, but there is little reason to worry about the Decatur, Georgia native as it is still early.
Other outfielders currently on the 40-man roster include Luke Williams, Eli White, and Carlos D. Rodriguez. Williams and White have spent time with the big league club in recent seasons. They are battling for a backup outfield spot to begin 2025. While both represent uninspiring options should they be pressed into duty, the depth is valuable given that the Braves can’t seem to avoid fluke injuries. Williams is off to a dreadful start at the plate this spring, but White is hitting .500 with a home run through 14-at bats.
The Braves outfield should be elite to start the year. Any contributions from the right field platoon would be a wonderful bonus. When Acuña takes over, however, it could easily become tops in the game. All three players are All-Star-level talents. With the positive news on Profar, Braves fans can rest easy and resume their excitement about this excellent group.
Main Photo Credits: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images
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