With another regular headed to the injured list, the Atlanta Braves are planning to promote infield prospect Nacho Alvarez for his major league debut according to a report by MLB.com’s Mark Bowman. The Braves are planning to have Alvarez play second base.
The Braves are expected to bring Nacho Alvarez up to replace Ozzie Albies (left wrist) tomorrow. Alvarez has primarily played short, but his athleticism and instincts should allow him to make a quick transition to the second base position
— Mark Bowman (@mlbbowman) July 21, 2024
Albies left Sunday’s game in the ninth inning after jamming his wrist while trying to put a tag on a runner. X-Rays later revealed a fracture and he is expected to miss approximately eight weeks.
Alvarez began the season at Double A where he hit .265/.381/.312 with a 115 wRC+ in 202 plate appearances. He has taken off at the plate after a promotion to Gwinnett where he entered Sunday hitting .342/.425/.586 with seven homers and a 159 wRC+. Alvarez has seen most of his playing time at shortstop and a little at third base but is expected to move to second in the majors. The situation is similar to when Vaughn Grissom made his major league debut in 2021 at second base in place of an injured Albies.
While Alvarez may be hard pressed to duplicate his offensive numbers from Triple A, he at this point is the Braves’ best option and should see playing time every day going forward.
