Braves Activate All-Star After 3 Month Absence

He's been out since mid-June. Finally, after missing 80 games with a fractured foot, the Atlanta Braves' two-time All-Star second baseman Ozzie Albies is back. 

The #Braves today returned INF Ozzie Albies from his rehabilitation assignment and reinstated him from the injured list. The club also designated RHP Jay Jackson for assignment and placed INF Ehire Adrianza on the 10-day injured list with a strained left quadricep.

— Atlanta Braves (@Braves) September 16, 2022

Despite his long absence, the Braves were obviously put at ease by Albies' rehab assignment, which has gone quite well, you might say.

He went 6-for-9 with a triple, homer and 5 RBIs in his past 2 games at Triple-A Gwinnett, including 5-for-5 with a walk-off homer Tuesday.

Ozzie Albies had FIVE hits tonight including this walk-off home run 😳 pic.twitter.com/fh5U7UKcqJ

— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) September 14, 2022

To be sure, the Braves 'got by', you might say, in Albies' absence, going 52-28 in that time. But locked in a battle for first place in the NL East with the New York Mets, his return couldn't have come at a better time. Albies had surgery after fracturing his foot on June 13th.

Phenom Vaughn Grissom, who's been the Braves' second baseman for the past month since being promoted from Double-A, has hit .304 with an .838 OPS, but he'll likely retain a spot in the lineup on most nights, as he's been getting in reps in the outfield of late.

Albies was off to a slow start this year, hitting just .244 with a .694 OPS, but his career marks of .270 and .791 are more likely to be expected.

Photos: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports , Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports