Braves place star catcher Drake Baldwin on 10-day IL with strained oblique

MIAMI (AP) — The Atlanta Braves placed star catcher Drake Baldwin on the 10-day injured list Tuesday because of a strained right oblique.

The reigning NL Rookie of the Year played in the series opener against the Miami Marlins on Monday but was replaced after his third plate appearance in the sixth inning of Atlanta’s 12-0 loss.

“Everyone deals with this,” Braves manager Walt Weiss said Tuesday. “It’s part of a major league season. Virtually every team is going to deal with their fair share of injuries. It’s tough when it happens to your best players. You’ve got to find a way to get through it and guys have to step up.”

Weiss added that Baldwin initially felt a slight discomfort after his second at-bat but not painful enough to warrant his removal.

“He felt a little more after the last at-bat. I took him out of the game after that one,” Weiss said. “Obliques are obliques and they’re never fun to deal with.”

Baldwin has returned to Atlanta, where he will undergo an MRI and additional testing.

The 25-year-old Baldwin has followed a standout rookie season with impressive offensive numbers through his first 48 games. Baldwin began Tuesday with a team-leading .303 batting average and 57 hits, and is tied with Matt Olson with a team-high 38 RBIs.

Last season, Baldwin became the first catcher since Buster Posey in 2010 to win Rookie of the Year. Baldwin hit 19 homers and drove in 80 runs, receiving 21 of 30 first-place votes.

Baldwin’s removal coincides with the return of five-time All Star Ronald Acuna Jr. Acuña, the NL 2023 MVP, had been sidelined since May 2 because of a left hamstring strain. He was activated Monday but did not play. On Tuesday, he doubled, had two walks and scored three times in Atlanta's 8-4 victory. Acuña batted leadoff as designated hitter.

“I guess, if there is a silver lining, we replace Baldwin with a guy like Ronald Acuña,” Weiss said. “Not many teams get to do that. That’s the good news there. But truth be told — we’re losing arguably our best hitter. Drake has been unbelievable.”

The Braves selected the contract of catcher Chadwick Tromp from Triple-A Gwinnett. Tromp and Sandy Leon will split the starts at catcher during Baldwin’s absence.

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This story has been corrected to show that Baldwin is 25, not 23.

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