Whit Merrifield leaves the Braves’ game against the Rockies after a terrible hit by the pitch
Another day, another injury scare for the Atlanta Braves, who just don’t seem to have any luck. This time it was Whit Merrifield who had to leave the game after an errant fastball hit him in the back of the head and completely missed his helmet.
The 35-year-old infielder was able to walk off the field without help and communicate his feelings to Colorado Rockies pitcher Jeff Criswell. However, the Braves took no chances and immediately took him off the field. Luke Williams took over as a pinch runner at second base.
Whit Merrifield was taken out of today’s game after being hit in the back of the head by this pitch. pic.twitter.com/bEmv1ngplD
— Bally Sports South (@BallySportsSO) 4 September 2024
Braves News: Atlanta continues to suffer injury woes after Whit Merrifield is taken out of the game following a horrific hit from the pitch
The Braves’ entire season has been plagued by injuries since Sean Murphy left the team with an oblique injury on Opening Day. Since then, it’s felt like a never-ending snowball of serious injury after serious injury.
Whit Merrifield joined the club in July following Ozzie Albies’ injury and missed a week immediately after suffering a strange injury on his first day with the team.
Good news for Whit Merrifield after he suffered a shock injury on a groundball before the game.@ashahahmadi has the latest ⤵️ pic.twitter.com/LbS6fWOKGA
— Bally Sports South (@BallySportsSO) July 23, 2024
However, after his finger healed, Merrifield gave the Braves stability at second base in the absence of their longest-serving player.
Since taking over the reins of second base, Merrifield .243/.352/.346 (100 wRC+) while offering solid defense and great baserunning.
While it’s a good sign that he left the field under his own power, the Braves probably want to be cautious about head injuries, especially since it appears that Jeff Criswell’s wild fastball completely missed his helmet and hit him squarely in the head.
If the Braves want to play it safe, there is a seven-day concussion injured list in MLB that they could place Merrifield on. However, Nacho Alvarez Jr. is the only available infielder on the team’s 40-man roster. If the Braves need another infielder, they could be forced to resort to the rookie.
Hopefully Merrifield’s release is nothing more than a precautionary measure and the second baseman can avoid the injury curse that has plagued so many Braves this season.
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