Atlanta Braves second baseman Ozzie Albies left Monday night’s game against the Washington Nationals in the fifth inning after fracturing his foot, according to the club. It will be a lengthy absence, as the club put him on the 60-day injured list Tuesday.
Albies, 25, appeared to suffer the injury as he attempted to exit the batter’s box following a swing. Take a look:
Albies entered Monday hitting .246/.288/.408 (90 OPS+) with eight home runs on the season. Albies’ marks were below his normal standard. A two-time All-Star and two-time Silver Slugger Award recipient, he hit .277/.329/.492 (109 OPS+) with 60 home runs between 2019-21.
“I hate it for Ozzie, and I hate it for us,” manager Brian Snitker said via MLB.com. “It’s unfortunate, but it’s one of those things. He’ll be fine. He’s young. He’ll heal quick, but I just hate it for the kid because he loves to play baseball and he’s such a big part of our club.”
Albies was replaced at second base by utility player Orlando Arcia.
It’s unclear exactly how long Albies will miss, though we obviously know it’ll be at least two months. The Braves do not have an abundance of infield depth from which to call upon. Veteran infielder Phil Gosselin was added to the roster as Albies hit the IL.
Albies is the latest notable loss for the defending world champions. Once he’s placed on the injured list, he’ll join a collection that includes starting outfielder Eddie Rosario, starting pitcher Mike Soroka, and high-leverage relievers Luke Jackson, Tyler Matzek, Collin McHugh, and Kirby Yates.
Nevertheless, the Braves entered Monday riding a majors-leading 11-game winning streak.