Wrist Fracture Forces Braves To Make A Move At Shortstop

It was a surprise to many when the Atlanta Braves, in one of their final roster decisions of spring training, decided to send vaunted prospect Vaughn Grissom down to the minors for more seasoning, particularly on defense, and instead going with the previously unremarkable veteran Orlando Arcia. 

But the 8th-year shortstop has been nothing short of dynamic thus far, batting .333 with a .911 OPS, two homers and seven RBIs. Unfortunately, the Braves have now announced that Arcia has suffered a microfracture in his wrist that will take him out for a while.

Further tests revealed a microfracture in Orlando Arcia's left wrist, and the #Braves shortstop will go on the injured list. X-rays taken at Truist Park were negative after Arcia was hit by a 98-mph fastball Wednesday, but an MRI & CT scan Thursday revealed a microfracture.

— David O'Brien (@DOBrienATL) April 13, 2023

MRI and CT scan imaging revealed the microfracture on Thursday, though the initial word is that it will not require surgery, but rather just needs time to heal. No timeline has been given as yet. Arcia was hit on the wrist by a 98 mph fastball Wednesday night.

So the rookie Grissom is poised to get the call-up, though it hasn't been made official as yet. The 22-year-old was killing it with Gwinnett at Triple-A, hitting .366 with a 1.044 OPS, one homer, four RBIs and two stolen bases. The offense seems to be there, but now he'll get a chance to prove whether he's ready to handle his defensive chores at the big league level.

Photo: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports