Atlanta Braves

The Atlanta Braves have placed starting pitcher Max Fried on the seven-day concussion injured list after he hit his head during Saturday's 6-2 loss to the New York Mets, per ESPN.

Fried slipped and fell face-first while attempting to get Francisco Lindor out on a throw to home plate during the third inning of Saturday's game.

Fried remained in the game despite the injury, allowing four runs in six innings.

The 28-year-old's injury is unfortunate for the Braves, who are second in the NL East with a 66-46 record. He is having an impressive 2022 season. Through 22 starts, he is 10-4 with a 2.60 ERA, 1.08 WHIP and 127 strikeouts in 138.1 innings.

Fried made his debut for the Braves during the 2017 season, but he has been particularly good over the last three years. He finished fifth in Cy Young voting in 2020 and also earned his first Gold Glove.

In 2021, Fried earned his second Gold Glove and a Silver Slugger award after hitting .273/.322/.327 with five RBI in 31 games. This season, he earned his first All-Star Game selection.

Fried has emerged as Atlanta's ace, and he'll be a key in Atlanta making it back to the World Series this year. Luckily for the Braves, it doesn't seem like he'll be sidelined for too long.

Charlie Morton, Kyle Wright, Spencer Strider and Jake Odorizzi should be able to carry the rotation in the meantime. Strider, in particular, is having a solid rookie season, posting a 6-4 record in 24 games (13 starts) with a 3.11 ERA, 1.05 WHIP and 138 strikeouts in 89.2 innings.

The Atlanta Braves called up top prospect Vaughn Grissom on Wednesday and placed Orlando Arcia on the 10-day injured list with a strained left hamstring.

Grissom has amassed 14 home runs and 67 RBI with High-A Rome and Double-A Mississippi, where he was called up from.

The 6'3", 210-pound shortstop is also ranked No. 98 overall on MLB.com's top-100 prospect list.

As David O'Brien of The Athletic noted, this marks the second time Atlanta has called up its top prospect from Double-A. Last time around, it added Michael Harris II to the big league club, and that has paid off to the tune of 10 home runs, 34 RBI and an .808 OPS in 64 games.

The 21-year-old Grissom will be called upon to play right away, per O'Brien:

Atlanta has already been without second baseman Ozzie Albies, who has sat since June 13 with a fracture in his left foot.

However, general manager Alex Anthopoulos offered some encouraging news to Jeff Schultz of The Athletic on July 14, when he said that the team was looking at him returning "mid- to late-August or worst case the beginning of September."

Grissom is entering the majors on fire with a .363 batting average, three home runs and 12 RBI in 22 Double-A games. He is also joining a team sitting atop the National League Wild Card standings at 65-46, seven games behind the New York Mets for first in the NL East.

The pressure is on for Grissom as he enters the middle of a pennant race, but he's more than capable of doing his part for the defending World Series champions.

The Atlanta Braves announced Monday that All-Star third baseman Austin Riley agreed to a 10-year, $212 million extension with the team that includes a $20 million club option for the 2033 season.

The 25-year-old is having a heck of a season, hitting .301 with 29 homers, 68 RBI, 61 runs and a .964 OPS. He was a first-time All-Star this year and is in the running for the National League MVP Award.

He was red hot in July in particular:

Riley was equally impressive in 2021, blasting 33 homers to go with 107 RBI.

The Braves have built an impressive young core. Alongside Riley, Ronald Acuna Jr. (24) is a superstar, while Matt Olson (28) has been a solid replacement for Freddie Freeman at first base. Ozzie Albies (25) is one of the top young players in the game, Dansby Swanson (28) has blossomed into an excellent shortstop, Max Fried (28) is an ace, and Kyle Wright (26) and Ian Anderson (24) are solid starters.

The defending World Series champions are 62-41 and just three games behind the New York Mets in the NL East. They hold the top wild-card spot in the NL.

And now one of the key players from that October run—Riley hit .277 with two homers and eight RBI in 16 games—is with Atlanta for the long haul.

The Atlanta Braves have designated Robinson Cano for assignment to make room for Ehire Adrianza, the team announced Monday.

Atlanta sent minor-league outfielder Trey Harris to the Washington Nationals in exchange for Adrianza, who spent last season with the Braves before signing with Washington as a free agent.

Cano appeared in nine games for the Braves, hitting .154 with just one extra-base hit. He was 0-for-12 since July 17 with just one walk.

After tallying three hits in two games against the New York Mets—the team that released him earlier in the season—the 39-year-old had just one hit during the remainder of his time in Atlanta.

Cano was already on his third team of the season after appearing for the Mets and San Diego Padres. In 33 games across the three stops, he has a .150 batting average with one home run and one double.

The poor play comes after the eight-time All-Star was suspended for all 2021 after testing positive for stanozolol, which is on Major League Baseball's list of performance-enhancing substances.

Cano has a guaranteed salary of $24 million this season—mostly paid for by the Mets and Seattle Mariners—but he could have limited opportunities moving forward after losing his job at three locations.

The Braves, meanwhile, have been unable to fill the hole at second base since Ozzie Albies suffered his foot injury. Adrianza could split time with Orlando Arcia filling in at the position until Albies returns to the field.

Adrianza played 109 games for Atlanta last season, hitting .247 with five home runs and 28 RBI.

The 32-year-old had just a .179 average for Washington to start 2022, although his true value is his versatility in the field. Adrianza has started games at four different positions for the Nationals this season, plus one shutout inning as a pitcher. Last season, he played third base, second base, shortstop and all three outfield spots for the Braves.

It gives Braves manager Brian Snitker plenty of lineup options down the stretch of the season.

The deal cost the Braves their No. 28 overall prospect in Harris, per MLB.com. The 26-year-old had a .238 average with two home runs in 59 games in Double-A this season.

The Atlanta Braves got outfield help before last year's trade deadline en route to winning a World Series crown, and they're reportedly looking to do the same in 2022.

Mark Feinsand of MLB.com tweeted the latest on the trade front for Atlanta.

"The Braves are looking for outfield help, per source. A reunion with Joc Pederson (on concussion IL) could make sense, but the Giants are 4 games out of a Wild Card and haven’t decided to sell. A rival exec believes SF is “ready to sell” after losing 8 of 9 games since the break.

"Other outfielders available on the trade market include Ian Happ, David Peralta, Ben Gamel, Tommy Pham, Ramon Laureano. Alex Anthopoulos worked some deadline magic with his outfield acquisitions last summer (Joc, Duvall, Soler)."

Last year, the Braves added four outfielders midseason: Adam Duvall, Jorge Soler, Joc Pederson and Eddie Rosario. Soler ended up winning the World Series MVP, Rosario took the National League Championship Series MVP, Duvall hit 16 home runs in 55 regular-season games and Pederson smacked three playoff homers. All of them contributed to the team's first Fall Classic win since 1995.

This season's team has gone 60-41, good enough for second in the NL East and first in the wild-card race. They are four games ahead of the next-closest team in the wild-card chase (the San Diego Padres) and just three games behind the New York Mets to lead the division.

They're set up for success thanks to a tremendous infield led by NL MVP candidate Austin Riley and a pitching staff with the third-best ERA in the NL, but they do need some outfield reinforcements.

Superstar outfielder Ronald Acuna Jr. and 21-year-old Michael Harris have fared the best for Atlanta. However, Duvall is out for the year after undergoing season-ending wrist surgery. Rosario, who has spent time on the injured list this year, is hitting just .157. Guillermo Heredia sports a .127 average, and Marcell Ozuna is slashing just .221/.274/.401.

An additional bat or two to take over a corner outfield spot and/or spend time at designated hitter could go a long way toward back-to-back World Series titles. Plenty of names are out there on the trading block, as Feinsand noted, but the Braves don't have a ton of time to get something done. The trade deadline is set for Tuesday at 6 p.m. ET.

The defending World Series champion Atlanta Braves reportedly have a couple of targets in mind as they are looking to bolster their roster ahead of the Aug. 2 trade deadline.

According to The Athletic's Jim Bowden, Kansas City Royals outfielder Andrew Benintendi "tops their target list," and they'd also "jump at the opportunity" to add Cincinnati Reds starter Luis Castillo.

Bowden noted that the Braves are enamored with Benintendi "because he is a strong defensive player with a high on-base percentage and he’s a left-handed hitter, which would help balance their lineup better." The season-ending wrist injury to Adam Duvall also creates a significant need in left field for Atlanta.

Benintendi was named an All-Star for the first time in his career this season. His .322 batting average is tied for fourth in the majors, and he's tied for sixth with 109 hits. He's also contributed three home runs and 39 RBI through 91 games.

Castillo is one of the most sought-after starters on the trade market. The two-time All-Star has a 2.77 ERA and 1.08 WHIP with 82 strikeouts through 13 starts this season. The 29-year-old right-hander would be a massive addition for any contending team hoping for a deep playoff run.

The Braves entered Tuesday trailing the New York Mets by two games for first place in the NL East. Adding a difference-maker like Benintendi or Castillo would boost Atlanta's chances at overtaking the Mets down the stretch of the season to claim a fifth straight division title.

Austin Riley is no longer the biggest snub from the 2022 MLB All-Star Game after the Atlanta Braves third baseman was added to the National League roster Saturday.

Riley will replace St. Louis Cardinals third baseman Nolan Arenado.

Riley is an MVP candidate after backing up his breakout 2021 season with another strong campaign, which made it quite a surprise when he wasn't on the initial roster.

The 25-year-old slugger has posted a .282/.345/.568 slash line with 26 home runs, which is tied for third in MLB, in 90 games. His .913 OPS ranks eighth.

"Part of me felt like I did enough," Riley told reporters. "But it is what it is. I get to spend time with my family and my new baby, so I'm not complaining."

Now he'll head to L.A. alongside five teammates: Ronald Acuna Jr., William Contreras, Travis d'Arnaud, Dansby Swanson and Max Fried.

Atlanta, the reigning World Series champion, owns MLB's fifth-best record at 55-37 with two games left before the break.

It's the first All-Star selection for Riley, who won the Silver Slugger Award and was voted to the All-MLB first team last season.

"He's having a great, great year," Atlanta manager Brian Snitker said after the team's 8-4 win over the Washington Nationals on Friday. "He's going to continue to have one, too. So, I'm happy for him."

Riley will be a potent bat off the bench for the NL, which will attempt to end an eight-year losing streak against the American League.

The game will take place at 8 p.m. ET Tuesday at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles.

New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge and Atlanta Braves outfielder Ronald Acuna Jr. have been named All-Star starters as the top vote-getters in their respective leagues, Major League Baseball announced on Thursday.

The rest of the finalists for the starting positions were also announced:

Judge, 30, has been ripping the cover off the ball this season, hitting .290 with an MLB-leading 29 homers and 62 runs. The four-time All-Star also has 59 RBI and a 1.001 OPS, and the Yankees have raced to a 56-20 record, a whopping 13 games ahead of the Boston Red Sox in the AL East.

"When I walk up to the plate, there’s no fear," Judge told reporters this week. "It makes it fun every single night."

He's wrong, of course. There's definitely fear, it's just coming from the pitcher facing him, as Judge mounts a serious challenge to reach the 60-homer plateau this season. Only five players in MLB history have reached it: Barry Bonds (73), Mark McGwire (twice: 70 and 65), Sammy Sosa (three times: 66, 64 and 63), Roger Maris (61) and Babe Ruth (60).

So Judge would enter hallowed territory if he becomes the sixth. His career high is 52 dingers in 2017.

Acuna, 24, missed the beginning of the season as he recovered from an ACL tear but has hit .281 with seven homers, 18 RBI, 28 runs and a .828 OPS in 43 games. It will be Acuna's third All-Star appearance.

The Braves have surged in June, jumping to a 44-32 record, just three game behind the New York Mets in the NL East. Acuna's return from injury has certainly been a major factor.