Atlanta Braves

Bad luck continues to haunt Mike Soroka, as the Atlanta Braves pitcher reinjured his Achilles walking to the team's clubhouse. 

Per an official announcement from the team, Soroka re-tore his Achilles tendon while talking to Truist Park on Thursday. He will undergo surgery to repair the injury and miss the rest of the 2021 season. 

Soroka made just three starts during the 2020 season before tearing his Achilles in the third inning of a game against the New York Mets. The 23-year-old had successful surgery on Aug. 8

Speaking to Mark Bowman of MLB.com soon after his surgery, Soroka said he was "hoping to be pushing our [medical] staff" to letting him get back to pitching activities around the beginning of the year. 

Even though that didn't happen, Soroka looked to be on track for a return at some point this season. Things took a downward turn on April 7 when he was shut down with shoulder discomfort while pitching at the Braves' alternate training site. 

Braves manager Brian Snitker told reporters on May 17 that Soroka underwent exploratory surgery on his Achilles. 

Soroka told reporters last week the procedure revealed his body rejected the sutures from a previous surgery. 

The Braves called Soroka up in May 2018 when he was 20 years old. The right-hander looked like the anchor of their pitching staff for years to come when he posted a 2.68 ERA in 174.2 innings during the 2019 season to finish second in NL Rookie of the Year and sixth in NL Cy Young voting. 

Atlanta Braves star Ronald Acuna Jr. will miss Wednesday's game against the New York Mets with lower back tightness, per 680 The Fan. 

Small injuries have crept up for the 23-year-old in 2021, including missed time in the first couple of months with an abdominal strain and a pinky contusion. A scary-looking ankle injury later forced him off the field:

Ronald Acuña Jr. left the game after this close play at first base.

He walked off the field without assistance. pic.twitter.com/GPEQosh8Uj

— Braves On FanDuel Sports Network (@FanDuelSNBraves) May 13, 2021

The ankle issue only forced him to miss two games in May.

While he has been able to avoid major injuries, it's enough to create concern considering his importance to the team.

Acuna entered the day with a .285 batting average and .996 OPS with 20 home runs and 15 stolen bases in 2021, proving once again that he is already one of the top players in baseball.

The Braves do have other proven options in the lineup, but the group suffers a major setback when Acuna is unavailable. Ehire Adrianza will start in right field for Wednesday's game.

The wife of Atlanta Braves left fielder Marcell Ozuna said he threatened to kill her during their argument that led to his arrest, according to Michael Seiden of WSB-TV in Atlanta.

Authorities arrested Ozuna last Saturday and charged him with aggravated assault by strangulation and battery. The arrest affidavit said Ozuna's wife, Genesis Guzman, was showering when he took her cellphones and refused to give them back, per Seiden.

"He threatened to kill her and she threatened to call 911," the affidavit read. "She took his cellphone from a table and called 911."

After chasing Ozuna outside of their home, Guzman walked back inside while on the phone with the 911 operator. Per the affidavit, while on the call, she said Ozuna was coming back inside and that she was grabbing a kitchen knife for protection.

"He continued to yell and verbally abuse her," the affidavit said. "Therefore, [Guzman] held the knife by her hip and warned [Ozuna] that if he got closer, she was going to hurt him."

Per the affidavit, Guzman subsequently dropped the knife and physically attempted to retrieve her phones before the two-time All-Star allegedly punched her in the back of her hands and using his left arm—which is in a plaster cast—to push her in the face. Ozuna then allegedly placed his hand around her throat and "held her up against the wall, preventing her from breathing."

The Sandy Springs Police Department said in the announcement about Ozuna's arrest that responding officers "heard screaming coming from inside and noticed the front door wide open." The officers also "witnessed the suspect grabbing the victim by the neck and throwing her against a wall."

Ozuna told police he had taken his wife's phones and that his wife had pushed him to the ground and kicked him. He also said Guzman threw a garden light toward him at one point after he exited the house.

The Braves issued a statement about Ozuna's arrest, saying they "fully support Major League Baseball's policy on domestic violence which stresses to the fullest that our society cannot and will not tolerate domestic violence in any form."

Statement from the Atlanta Braves: pic.twitter.com/qISsfrUAiL

— Atlanta Braves (@Braves) May 30, 2021

Ozuna has been out of action since May 25 after fracturing two fingers while sliding into third base.

The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal noted MLB's collective bargaining agreement allows for Commissioner Rob Manfred to levy suspensions for domestic violence even if a player isn't formally convicted.

Atlanta Braves outfielder Marcell Ozuna was granted a $20,000 bond Monday after being charged with aggravated assault by strangulation and battery against his wife, Genesis, per the Associated Press (via ESPN.com).

Ozuna was arrested Saturday after Sandy Springs officers said they witnessed him "choke his wife, throw her against a wall and strike her with the cast on his broken fingers," per Alexis Stevens of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. 

The 30-year-old broke two fingers during a game against the Boston Red Sox last week and was on the Braves' injured list.

The Braves released a statement after learning of the player's arrest:

Statement from the Atlanta Braves: pic.twitter.com/qISsfrUAiL

— Atlanta Braves (@Braves) May 30, 2021

Ozuna is expected to be released from jail Monday but was ordered to have no contact with his wife.

Genesis Ozuna reportedly had visible injuries after Saturday's altercation but did not go to the hospital. In June 2020, she was charged with domestic battery after allegedly hitting Marcell Ozuna with a soap dish and causing a facial injury.

Attorneys said Monday the two were in the process of divorce.

The Sandy Springs, Georgia, police department arrested Atlanta Braves outfielder Marcell Ozuna on aggravated assault and misdemeanor battery charges Saturday.

ESPN's Jeff Passan reported the news and relayed a press release from the police department:

From Sandy Springs, Ga., police: Officers allegedly witnessed Atlanta Braves outfielder Marcell Ozuna grab his wife by her neck and throw her against a wall. He also hit her with a cast on his arm, according to the department's release. pic.twitter.com/jArly4bEIk

— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) May 30, 2021

A jail records search on the Fulton County (Georgia) website shows that Ozuna, 30, was arrested on two separate charges: aggravated assault strangulation and misdemeanor battery - family violence (first offense).

He is being held without bond at the Fulton County Jail, per Alexis Stevens of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Per Passan, aggravated assault strangulation is a felony in Georgia. Convictions result in a minimum of one year in prison and a maximum of 20 years.

Atlanta released a statement following Ozuna's arrest:

We learned of Marcell Ozuna's arrest earlier this evening and immediately informed the Commissioner's Office. The Braves fully support Major League Baseball's policy on domestic violence which stresses to the fullest that our society cannot and will not tolerate domestic violence in any form. Until the investigation is completed, we will have no further comment and all inquiries into the matter should be referred to the Office of the Commissioner.

Atlanta re-signed Ozuna, who joined the team as a free agent on a one-year contract in 2020, to a four-year, $64 million deal last February.

He's played 48 games for Atlanta this year and most recently took the field last Tuesday. However, Ozuna suffered fractured middle and ring fingers on his left hand while sliding in a road game against the Boston Red Sox that evening.

Atlanta placed him on the 10-day injured list, and Ozuna revealed on Instagram (h/t Kevin McAlpin of Braves Radio Network) that he would be out for six weeks.

Ozuna left the team during its road trip, which currently has Atlanta playing in New York against the Mets this weekend.

MLB is expected to open an investigation following Ozuna's arrest, per Passan, who also tweeted that the outfielder "could be subject to the league's domestic-violence policy," which includes a "potential suspension."

Atlanta Braves left fielder Marcell Ozuna is expected to be out for five to six weeks because of two dislocated fingers on his left hand, according to The Athletic's David O'Brien.

Ozuna signed a one-year, $18 million deal with the Braves heading into 2020. Inking a four-year, $65 million contract with Atlanta one offseason later speaks to how well he performed.

The two-time All-Star led the National League in home runs (18) and RBI (56) while slugging a career-high .636. He finished sixth in NL MVP voting and collected his second Silver Slugger Award. With Ozuna helping to lead the way, the Braves ranked first in weighted on-base average (.355), per FanGraphs, even though Ronald Acuna Jr. and Ozzie Albies both missed extended stretches.

Ozuna's performance has dipped to begin 2021. His .213/.288/.356 slash line is on pace to be a career worst in all three categories.

Guillermo Heredia figures to now occupy left field, with Ender Inciarte becoming an everyday regular in center again.

Strength in numbers is one positive for Atlanta. Adam Duvall and Nick Markakis were the only notable departures from the lineup, so the team continues to have one of the deeper offenses in baseball.

As much as losing Ozuna hurts, Atlanta should survive in the short term.

Amid a 2021 Major League Baseball season marked by historic offensive futility, there's actually some intriguing overlap between the league's best hitters and its youngest hitters.

To wit, consider the splits for hitters 24 and younger and those 25 and older:

• 24 and Younger: .244 AVG, .317 OBP, .414 SLG, 102 wRC+
• 25 and Older: .236 AVG, .313 OBP, .393 SLG, 97 wRC+

In defense of the 25-and-older crowd, that 97 wRC+ isn't a historically embarrassing figure. It's only three ticks below the average mark of 100 and a far sight better than the 92 wRC+ that 25-and-older hitters had back in 1935.

But that 102 wRC+ that the 24-and-younger crowd is working on? That's the highest such mark in 121 years of MLB's modern era.

Of the many explanations for this historic occasion, there's no better place to start than with the 20-somethings who rank first, fifth and 12th among all hitters in wRC+: Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (198), Fernando Tatis Jr. (189) and Ronald Acuna Jr. (163).

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The New and Improved Vladimir Guerrero Jr.

Where the 23-year-old Acuna and 22-year-old Tatis are concerned, it's certainly fair not to be surprised at their stellar performances. Acuna was the National League Rookie of the Year in 2018, and he and Tatis have three Silver Sluggers and two top-five MVP finishes between them.

The 22-year-old Guerrero, however, is a different story.

As the son of a revered Hall of Famer and the game's No. 1 prospect at the time, Guerrero was saddled with great expectations when he debuted for the Toronto Blue Jays in April 2019. But between '19 and 2020, his first 183 major league games yielded an unspectacular .269/.336/.442 line and 24 home runs.

On the plus side, there were crucial things Guerrero did well. Per his 84th percentile strikeout rate in 2020, one of them was put the ball in play. By way of his 93rd percentile exit velocity, making loud contact was another.

There was therefore only a short leap between Guerrero and superstardom, and it wasn't hard to pinpoint how he could take it. For one, he needed to get in better shape. For two, he needed to sharpen his strike-zone discipline. Lastly, he needed to get more of his hard-hit balls in the air.

Well, he's now hitting .333/.443/.661 with 15 home runs precisely because there are check marks in all three of those boxes.

It is to Guerrero's credit that he followed through on his dedication to get in better shape this offseason. He's also reduced his rate of swings outside the zone, allowing him to become the league's fifth-biggest gainer in walk percentage.

With an average of 94.8 mph, Guerrero trails only Aaron Judge and Evan Longoria in exit velocity. He's also hitting line drives and fly balls on a career-best 46.0 percent of his batted balls, so the 117 mph, 461-foot shot he hit Monday was perhaps inevitable:

461 Feet.
117 MPH.

In other words...#PLAKATA 💥 pic.twitter.com/yVFxp4i8m8

— Toronto Blue Jays (@BlueJays) May 24, 2021

The other remarkable thing about Guerrero's dominance is just how consistently it's been on display. His OPS has been over 1.000 after 41 of his 46 games. In the other five, it's still been over .900.

Never mind a potential All-Star nod and Silver Slugger Award. At this rate, Guerrero could become the player to beat for the American League MVP Award.

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The Familiar Yet Still Improved Ronald Acuna Jr. and Fernando Tatis Jr.

Even if they aren't quite on Guerrero's level, both Acuna (98th percentile) and Tatis (95th) are also standouts on the exit velocity leaderboard.

Where they clearly have Guerrero beat is that they can run. Acuna and Tatis have 16 combined stolen bases, which points to how the Atlanta right fielder and the San Diego Padres shortstop have sprint speeds in the 96th and 95th percentiles.

But while it isn't exactly news that Acuna and Tatis boast elite power and speed, they have added new wrinkles.

For Acuna's part, his .276/.380/.622 line and 15 home runs have much to do with the progress he's made with his own zone discipline. He's swinging at only 16.5 percent of the pitches he's seeing outside the strike zone, which has helped pave the way to a career-high 0.7 walk-to-strikeout ratio.

Yet he's done so while also dramatically improving his coverage outside the zone, where his .267 average and .600 slugging percentage are career bests. You know, just in case you were wondering if that grand slam he hit Friday was an anomaly:

Dingerz.#HyundaiHighlight | #ForTheA pic.twitter.com/vqIPL6w9XK

— Atlanta Braves (@Braves) May 22, 2021

Contrary to Guerrero and Acuna, Tatis is actually taking hacks outside the zone at a higher rate than he did in 2020. Because he's often coming up empty on those swings, there's an easy explanation for why his swing-and-miss rate is all the way down in the 19th percentile.

But in fairness to Tatis, separate stints on the injured list for a left shoulder injury and positive COVID-19 test haven't made it easy for him to get into a rhythm in the 30 games he's played. To boot, the former event even necessitated a change in his swing mechanics. Whereas he used to do so with one hand, he now follows through with both hands.

Judging by his .307/.380/.711 line and 13 homers, that adjustment hasn't cost him where it counts. His new follow through also seems to have boosted his already impressive all-fields power. He's slugging 1.068 on balls up the middle and to the opposite field, compared to .860 across 2019 and 2020.

Which brings us to yet another grand slam:

#SlamDiego. @tatis_jr. What more is there to say? pic.twitter.com/k9TF9bbZAW

— San Diego Padres (@Padres) May 23, 2021

If the season were to end today, Acuna would probably win the NL MVP Award even despite Atlanta's 23-24 record. But if Tatis can stay healthy and help keep the Padres atop the NL West, he may well have the best claim at the end of the season.

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This Youth Movement Isn't Just 3 Players

Though Guerrero, Acuna and Tatis are the headliners, they also represent not even half of the 24-and-under hitters who've done better than a 140 wRC+ over at least 100 plate appearances:

• 3B Austin Riley, ATL: 159 wRC+, 9 HR
• 3B Rafael Devers, BOS: 150 wRC+, 13 HR
• CF Trent Grisham, SDP: 149 wRC+, 6 HR  
  
• DH Yordan Alvarez, HOU: 148 wRC+, 7 HR

It's also a near certainty that Juan Soto, 22, will throw his hat into the ring as well. A stint on the IL with a strained left shoulder has contributed to a slow start, but he previously achieved historic greatness with a 152 wRC+ across his age-19, -20 and -21 seasons from 2018 to 2020.

Also worth shouting out are Miami Marlins second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. (127 wRC+), St. Louis Cardinals right fielder Dylan Carlson (121) and Blue Jays shortstop Bo Bichette (115). And while they haven't quite clicked yet, it should surprise nobody if New York Yankees shortstop Gleyber Torres (110) and Astros right fielder Kyle Tucker (110) rediscover the star-caliber form they've previously shown.

Regarding how, exactly, the youngest hitters in MLB are succeeding at a historic level while everyone else is having such a hard time, it's not necessarily because they're better pure hitters. Indeed, the 24-and-younger crowd lags behind the 25-and-older crowd in both walk rate (8.6 to 9.0) and strikeout rate (25.3 to 24.0).

But as you'd perhaps expect, the youngsters have a distinct edge in the more athletic aspects of the game. They best their elders in average exit velocity (89.3 to 88.9 mph) and baserunning value (9.1 to minus-9.1).

As long as those advantages hold and Guerrero, Acuna and Tatis keep doing their thing, MLB's youth movement should maintain forward momentum throughout the season.

When a player hits a walk-off home run against a division rival, like Ronald Acuna Jr. did for the Atlanta Braves against the New York Mets on Wednesday, it's only fair to celebrate accordingly.

After completing a 5-4 comeback victory, Acuna's celebration might've been more impressive than the home run that preceded it. So much so that none other than NBA legend Vince Carter couldn't help but jump online and support Acuna's antics. Which makes plenty of sense, since it was Carter whom Acuna was emulating on the field.

“It’s Over!!!!” https://t.co/D7Nq7ryNNJ

— Vince Carter (@mrvincecarter15) May 20, 2021

As Acuna's first career walk-off flew deep into the Atlanta night, the outfielder turned to his dugout with a message for his teammates: "It's over."

Carter couldn't help but bask in his epic 2000 Dunk Contest moment crossing over into baseball.

Then a member of the Toronto Raptors, Carter put on one of the most dazzling displays in dunk contest history leading to a runaway victory that the veteran declared over well before the judges did.

"IT'S OVER. IT'S OVER LADIES AND GENTLEMAN!"

Vince Carter gets everyone HYPED up after an iconic dunk in the 2000 @NBA Slam Dunk Contest.

Catch the action on SN + SN1 now! pic.twitter.com/vShkPyBtr5

— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) April 25, 2020

It seems he has no problem with Acuna modeling his celebration after his. Then again, Acuna was only three years old when Carter won the 2000 Dunk Contest, so he may not have the most vivid memory of Carter's own epic evening.

Veteran reliever Shane Greene has agreed to a minor league contract with the Atlanta Braves and will report to Triple-A Gwinnett.

According to The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal, Greene agreed to a one-year deal worth $1.5 million

Braves in agreement with free-agent reliever Shane Greene on one-year, $1.5M contract, source tells @TheAthletic. Deal is pro-rated; actual earnings will be in $1.1M-$1.2M range. Greene will report to Triple A Gwinnett.

— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) May 9, 2021

Greene, 32, spent parts of the last two seasons with the Braves, going 1-1 with a 3.27 ERA, 1.16 WHIP and 42 strikeouts in 52.1 innings (55 appearances). He was an All-Star in 2019. 

He's also had stints with the New York Yankees (2014) and Detroit Tigers (2015-19). He spent time as Detroit's closer, with 63 saves between the 2017-19 seasons, though Mark Melancon held down that role for the Braves last year and Will Smith has served as the team's closer this year. 

Greene would be a nice addition for a Braves bullpen that has somewhat surprisingly struggled in 2021 after being such a strength last year. Adding Greene, along with getting Chris Martin back from injury, should help. 

The Braves need it. The team has started a disappointing 16-17, though with the rest of the NL East struggling, the Braves find themselves just 1.5 games back of the first-place New York Mets (15-13) and Philadelphia Phillies (18-16). 

The season is young. But it's become pretty clear that the boost to the bullpen Greene can provide is needed in Atlanta. 

Atlanta Braves outfielder Ronald Acuna Jr. left Saturday's game against the Philadelphia Phillies after being hit by a pitch in the bottom of the seventh inning. The team announced X-rays were negative and the MVP candidate is considered day-to-day with a left pinky finger contusion. 

Phillies reliever Sam Coonrod threw a pitch up and in that appeared to hit Acuna on the hand:

Ronald Acuña Jr. immediately goes to the clubhouse after taking a pitch to the hand/wrist. pic.twitter.com/gwPjDnBDis

— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) May 9, 2021

Losing Acuna for any period of time would be a huge blow to the Braves. 

The 23-year-old is an essential piece of the lineup for Atlanta, which is 15-17 and 2.5 games out of first place in the NL East entering Saturday night. 

Through 30 games, he is slashing .321/.414/.670, with the last figure leading the league. His 10 homers are tied with J.D. Martinez and Shohei Ohtani for most in MLB. 

Acuna is following up his second consecutive Silver Slugger campaign, and he also earned his first All-Star nod in 2019, a year after being named Rookie of the Year. 

The Venezuelan had an early exit against the Chicago Cubs on April 18 because of a mild abdominal strain, but he stayed off of the injured list and was pegged with a day-to-day designation. He had another injury scare in September, when he took a foul ball off the ankle but was in the lineup the next day. 

Acuna's durability and consistency have made him virtually irreplaceable, and the Braves will now turn to Ehire Adrianza in right field.