The Atlanta Braves will begin a three-game series against the Cincinnati Reds at 7:15 p.m. EDT on Tuesday. Before Tuesday’s game, the Braves revealed an update on outfielder Lane Thomas, who has been on the injured list since Sept. 8 with a strained left intercostal muscle.
From MLB.com’s Mark Bowman on X: Lane Thomas received a cortisone injection last week. He was able to take swings off of a tee today. No specific timetable, but he could be available during the early part of the playoffs.
From the Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Chad Bishop on X: Lane Thomas said he took some light swings off a tee today, is progressing well and feels like he’s a little bit ahead of schedule.
The Braves acquired Thomas and left-hander Bailey Falter from the Kansas City Royals for left-hander Carter Holton and right-hander Lucas Braun on Aug. 2. Thomas is mainly a platoon bat for Atlanta, largely splitting time with Mike Yastrzemski in the outfield. Thomas, a right-handed hitter with strong career numbers against southpaws, mainly starts against left-handers while Yastrzemski starts against right-handers.
Thomas has hit .171/.261/.317 with one home run and three RBI in 46 plate appearances with Atlanta this season. He slashed .232/.326/.393 with 10 home runs and 37 RBI over 97 games with the Royals this season. He has recorded innings at all three outfield spots this year. Against southpaws, Thomas has slashed .262/.364/.440 this season.
Since making his MLB debut in 2019, Thomas has played for the St. Louis Cardinals, Washington Nationals, Cleveland Guardians, Royals and Braves. Over his career, Thomas has hit .239/.310/.413 with 87 home runs and 294 RBI.
The injury arrived abruptly. The Braves’ outfield depth took a hit when Lane Thomas strained his left intercostal while taking batting practice. Thomas was scratched from the lineup approximately 20 minutes before the start of Thursday afternoon’s win over the Rays, and on Friday he was placed on the 10-day injured list, retroactive to Tuesday.
The Braves have already clinched the NL East title. Atlanta is the third seed in the NL with a 92-64 record. With just two series remaining in the regular season, the Braves will likely keep their spot in the standings. Therefore, Atlanta will likely host the last Wild Card team in a best-of-three series to kick off the playoffs. As of now, the last Wild Card team is the Philadelphia Phillies, but the Phillies are just one game behind the top two teams, the Cubs and Padres.
Bowman has laid out who he thinks will make the postseason roster. For the first series, he doesn’t believe Thomas will be healthy enough to return. Hicklen gets the nod as a backup outfielder, with Lane Thomas expected to miss the Wild Card Series while recovering from a strained left intercostal muscle. While Thomas is sidelined, Dubon could play left field against left-handed starters. This would open the door for Kim to get a start at the shortstop position.
Thomas has made $31 million throughout his entire career. Atlanta will be ready whenever he becomes available, but the next-man-up mentality will continue for the Braves throughout the playoffs as well.
