Braves Sign Journeyman Outfielder in Wake of Ronald Acuña Jr. Injury
The Atlanta Braves have to replace one of baseball’s best players for the second time in three years.
Reigning National League Most Valuable Player Ronald Acuña Jr. is out for the season with a torn ACL, his second such injury in the last three years. Acuña Jr. missed half of 2021 and the beginning of the 2022 season as he returned from his first ACL tear which he suffered in July 2021. Now, he’ll miss the remainder of 2024, and likely the beginning of 2025.
This is a huge blow for the Braves who have World Series aspirations year in and year out. They won in 2021 without Acuña and will have to do the same in 2024 if they want to win another ring.
In 2021, after Acuña tore his ACL, the Braves worked quickly to add replacements. The team made four outfield additions ahead of the trade deadline, acquiring Joc Pederson, Jorge Soler, Eddie Rosario, and Adam Duvall.
All four outfielders played pivotal roles in the Braves’ run to the World Series. Rosario even won the NLCS MVP honors, while Soler took home the World Series MVP award.
The Braves have three outfielders currently on the roster in Duvall, Michael Harris II, and Jarred Kelenic, but there’s a chance they look for more help before the deadline to try to replicate 2021’s success — and they’ve already started.
Laureano, 29, is a seven-year MLB veteran who’s played with the Oakland Athletics and Guardians. He’s a career .242 hitter with a .740 OPS but has struggled this year, hitting just .143 with an OPS of .494.
A change of scenery could be exactly what Laureano needed, though, as he’s proven to be an above-average MLB outfielder throughout his career.
Laureano has a career OPS+ of 106, meaning he’s been six percent above league average as a hitter His best season came in 2019, when he slashed .288/.340/.521 with 24 home runs, 67 runs batted in, and an OPS of .860 in 123 games.
While Laureano is just a minor league addition for now, he’ll compete to earn a spot on the MLB roster. And while Laureano is doing that, the team will likely be scouting their next moves as they look to replace the irreplaceable Ronald Acuña Jr.
