The Atlanta Braves’ bench is, at best, functional. But if you’re searching for big bats or game-changing substitutions, you might want to keep scrolling. This is a bench built more for plug-and-play than highlight reels.
Stuart Fairchild: Defense First, Bat Later
Fairchild is your prototypical 4th or 5th outfielder, and the Braves knew that when they picked him up. He’s fast, can cover ground in the outfield, and he’s not afraid to lay out for a ball.
But when it comes to swinging the bat, let’s just say the man is more toothpick than timber. You don’t bring him up for the clutch homer; you bring him in when you need a defensive shift or a pinch-runner with wheels.
Fairchild had been MIA since dislocating his pinkie at the end of May — not exactly headline-grabbing stuff, but that matters in the world of razor-thin depth charts. Now that he’s back, the Braves made the expected roster shuffle by designating Jose Azocar for assignment. Azocar, like Fairchild, hasn’t exactly been lighting up the stat sheet. He was the collateral damage to make room.
Braves Roster Moves: Fairchild In, Azocar Out
Let’s call this what it is: a marginal roster move. The kind of transactional footnote you skim past on the bottom ticker of a sports network. Azocar and Fairchild are interchangeable chess pieces — neither one is altering the Braves’ playoff math.
This is the kind of roster juggling that doesn’t swing momentum but simply buys time. Time for players to heal, time for front office decisions to ripen, and most importantly, time until Jurickson Profar is back in the fold.
Profar, suspended but nearing a return, is the guy who could actually impact this team’s trajectory. When he rejoins the squad, likely in early July, someone’s going to be the odd man out. Fairchild’s role feels temporary, like the furniture you keep just until the movers arrive with the real stuff.
Nacho Alvarez Jr.: Wrist Watch and Infield Trials
In the infield, Nacho Alvarez Jr. is clocking back in. He’s hit the rehab trail after missing time with a wrist injury and seems to be rounding into form. The Braves are trying him out at third base — a bit of a curveball, considering shortstop is his natural fit.
However, with Nick Allen still flailing at the plate and not exactly wowing with the glove, the Braves may be laying the groundwork for an infield shakeup.
If Alvarez can hit enough and hold down the hot corner defensively, it opens up some intriguing possibilities. Could he make the shortstop position a revolving door again? Could he sneak into a utility role if he shows versatility? These are the questions Atlanta needs to answer.
