Did The Atlanta Braves Catch A Serious Break In the Loaded N.L East
Updated: Jun 28, 2023
Opening Day in the MLB is on Thursday, and it is now time to watch your team play 162 games over the next six months. A few teams had already been hit with the injury bug before the start of the season, two of them are from the N.L. East.
The N.L. East could be one of the most competitive divisions in baseball this season with three out of the five teams the Atlanta Braves, New York Mets, and Philadelphia Phillies fighting for the division.
All three of those teams made the playoffs last year, and the Phillies, who were the third team in the division and the last playoff team went all the way to the World Series.
However, the Phillies and Mets already took a couple of huge hits to the team before the start of the season.
The New York Mets
The New York Mets went 101-61 last season and got bounced in the wild-card round. The Mets took a huge hit to the team two weeks ago when their star closer Edwin Diaz hurt his knee playing in the World Baseball Classic. Diaz will miss the entire season, and the Mets are now down the best closer in the sport.
Losing the best closer in baseball is a big loss when you are already playing in one of the most competitive divisions. Every single win is going to matter, and blowing saves is not going to be a good thing in this division.
Philadelphia Phillies
The Phillies also have a handful of injuries themselves. Bryce Harper had to get an off-season elbow surgery that could keep him out until the middle of the season. Last week’s first basemen Rhys Hoskins got injured in the spring training game. Hoskins ended up tearing his ACL and will miss the 2023 season. The Phillies were looking to try and go back to the World Series this season and finish it off but now it will be a tough road to get to that point.
The Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves won the N.L. East last season with a record of 101-61 but were knocked out of the playoffs by the Phillies. The Braves lost their star shortstop Dansby Swanson to the Chicago Cubs this offseason.
The Braves have some pitchers with some minor injuries, but the good news for them is they were not hit by the season-ending injury bug like their two division rivals. The Braves should be the favorite to win the division again this season, and the N.L. East is going to be fun to watch.