{"id":719656,"date":"2026-06-07T11:03:20","date_gmt":"2026-06-07T11:03:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/719656\/"},"modified":"2026-06-07T11:03:20","modified_gmt":"2026-06-07T11:03:20","slug":"braves-exposed-by-glaring-problem-during-drake-baldwins-oblique-recovery-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/719656\/","title":{"rendered":"Braves exposed by glaring problem during Drake Baldwin’s oblique recovery"},"content":{"rendered":"

Braves exposed by glaring problem during Drake Baldwin’s oblique recovery<\/a> originally appeared on The Sporting News<\/a>. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The Atlanta Braves<\/a>\u2019 primary catcher is Drake Baldwin<\/a>, and that has essentially been the case for the past two seasons with Sean Murphy<\/a> battling injuries. This season, Baldwin got off to a hot start as he looked to build on his Rookie of the Year campaign.<\/p>\n

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The Braves are the best team in baseball with 44 wins, and there is no denying that. However, Baldwin has been sidelined for the past couple of weeks while dealing with an oblique injury.<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cThe Atlanta Braves put Drake Baldwin on the 10-day injured list Tuesday, with an MRI revealing that the star catcher has a Grade 1 right oblique strain. Baldwin, the reigning National League Rookie of the Year, was replaced by backup catcher Sandy Leon<\/a> in the sixth inning of Monday’s 12-0 loss to the Miami Marlins<\/a>. Manager Walt Weiss said Baldwin initially felt a slight discomfort after his second at-bat but not painful enough to warrant his removal,\u201d ESPN wrote.<\/p>\n

Baldwin is nearing a return, though it remains unclear exactly when that will be for Atlanta. The catcher has recently resumed baseball activities.<\/p>\n

\u201cDrake Baldwin said he has just started doing some baseball activities. Still hasn\u2019t been cleared for dry swings. While he\u2019s hopeful to return as soon as possible, he said he\u2019s not aiming for a specific date,\u201d MLB.com\u2019s Mark Bowman wrote.<\/a><\/p>\n

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However, without Baldwin, the Braves have a significant lineup problem that cannot be ignored. The offensive production from the catcher position has been extremely poor in his absence.<\/p>\n

\u201cBraves catchers are 1-for-40 over the past 13 games,\u201d MLB writer Jason Foster posted.<\/a><\/p>\n

Baldwin is an important bat in the lineup, but the production from the catching spot has been a major issue. Combined with Ha-Seong Kim<\/a>\u2019s struggles, it often feels as though Atlanta is effectively hitting with just seven players.<\/p>\n

Even so, it is impressive that the Braves have continued winning at the rate they have. The catching situation has provided little help, and Baldwin\u2019s return cannot come soon enough to restore balance to the lineup.<\/p>\n

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