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All signs point to Ozzie Albies returning Friday

Originally posted on SportsTalkATL | By Chase Irle | Last updated 4/25/24

Since the news was announced that Ozzie Albies had been placed on the 10-day IL, it’s been nothing but positive updates regarding the Braves All-Star second baseman. Within days, he was already walking without a boot and taking part in fielding drills, and earlier this week, he began taking batting practice. The initial reaction was that he would miss a few weeks, but it’s going to be shorter than that.

Albies is eligible to come off the IL on Friday as the Braves host the Guardians at Truist Park, and all signs point to him playing this weekend now that David Fletcher has been outrighted to Gwinnett.

The Braves outrighted David Fletcher to Triple-A Gwinnett. This seemingly clears the way for them to reinstate Ozzie Albies for Friday’s series opener against Cleveland.

— Justin Toscano (@JustinCToscano) April 25, 2024

Obviously, getting Albies back is the top priority, but there is another intriguing aspect to this transaction. With David Fletcher making his Braves debut, he can now elect free agency instead of staying in Gwinnett.

Most likely, that’s the course of action he’ll take because he shouldn’t have any problem finding a job. In a utility role with Albies out, Fletcher came up with a couple of timely and proved to be a valuable defender. He deserves a spot on a major-league roster, and it’s not likely to come in Atlanta unless another injury arises. I don’t imagine Fletcher will opt to wait for that to happen, so we might have already seen his last moments as a member of the Braves.

This article first appeared on SportsTalkATL and was syndicated with permission.

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