Braves Cut 2021 Postseason Hero As They Tumble in NL Wild Card Race

The Atlanta Braves, losers of four straight games, have less than two months to turn around their injury-plagued season and realize their postseason ambitions. For the moment it isn’t looking great.

The Braves’ current streak has left them at 60-53 through Wednesday, two games behind San Diego and Arizona in the National League Wild Card race. The New York Mets (60-54) are half a game back for the third and final NL postseason berth. Four other teams are within five games — and have plenty of time to catch up.

Just one month ago, on July 9, the Braves were 51-39 and comfortably leading the Wild Card race by three games over their nearest competition. Since then, they have the NL’s worst record at 9-14 (coincidentally, tied with the division-leading Philadelphia Phillies).

Atlanta was banking on 2021 postseason hero Eddie Rosario to right the ship. They signed him to a minor league contract on July 5, four days after he was designated for assignment by the Washington Nationals. Rosario is only three years removed from a National League Championship Series in which he hit .560 (14 for 25) with three home runs and nine RBIs to claim series MVP honors.

This time around, Rosario could never recapture the magic in his bat that led Atlanta to its only World Series victory in the last 25 years. He was designated for assignment Thursday with a .154 batting average (12 for 78) in 24 games.

Braves GM Alex Anthopoulos was perhaps hoping Rosario could reprise the role he played in 2021 when Rosario came over in a midseason trade with Cleveland and batted .271 with seven home runs down the stretch.

The Braves had lost star outfielder Ronald Acuña Jr. to a season-ending knee injury that year but won the World Series anyway. Rosario and three other midseason acquisitions — outfielders Joc Pederson, Jorge Soler, and Adam Duvall — were key to their late-season turnaround.

Anthopoulos re-acquired Soler from the San Francisco Giants before the July 30 deadline. Why not try to run it back?

Atlanta is again dealing with a premature end to Acuña’s season. The 2023 NL MVP isn’t expected back until next year. Unfortunately, neither is rotation ace, Spencer Strider. Second baseman Ozzie Albies is out with a fractured wrist until September.

Outfielder Michael Harris II is currently shelved with a strained hamstring, while Reynaldo Lopez — the surprisingly adequate replacement for Strider in his first year as a starting pitcher — is currently dealing with forearm inflammation.

In the end, these injuries might be too much for Atlanta to overcome. Even if they aren’t, they won’t be running it back with Rosario, who at 32 appears to be firmly past his prime.

Rosario played 142 games last season as the Braves’ everyday left fielder, hitting .255 with 21 home runs and 74 RBIs. This season he’s hitting .175 across 91 games with the Braves and Nationals. His next organization, if he’s able to latch on with another team this season, will be his third in less than a year.

In a 10-year career with the Twins, Guardians, Braves, and Nationals, Rosario has hit .262 with 169 homers and 583 RBIs.

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