NORTH PORT, Fla. -- Jurickson Profar was back atop a lineup that looked very similar to the one the Braves will use for their March 27 season opener in San Diego. His healthy presence in the leadoff spot will help Atlanta compensate for the early-season absence of Ronald Acu?a Jr.
¡°He¡¯s going to have plenty of time,¡± Braves manager Brian Snitker said. ¡°He¡¯s had a lot of at-bats [in Minor League games]. He¡¯s going to have to run around the outfield to get his legs ready. It is what it is. It¡¯s going to have to work.¡±
Profar didn¡¯t show any signs of rust as he delivered a leadoff double in the Braves' 7-0 win over the Phillies Thursday afternoon at CoolToday Park. He later singled to right in the fifth for his second hit while playing for the first time since he rolled his left wrist while attempting to make a sliding catch against the Pirates on March 8.
It would have been nice for Profar to experience an uninterrupted Spring Training as he prepares to play after joining the Braves with a three-year, $42 million deal in January. But considering the initial fear felt when he injured his wrist, missing a couple of weeks of Spring Training games was an optimal outcome.
¡°I¡¯m happy, very happy,¡± Profar said. ¡°When it happened, I thought it would be worse.¡±
Profar was cleared to begin taking batting practice on Sunday and he has since compiled at-bats against Minor Leaguers on the back fields. He collected seven at-bats during a game played on Wednesday.
Snitker said Profar will likely be in the lineup for each of the three games the Braves will play before leaving Florida on Sunday. He will then be slated to play in both exhibition games scheduled against the Cubs in Arizona next week. This will allow him to tally approximately 15 plate appearances before playing against his former Padres teammates on Opening Day.
Profar fueled San Diego¡¯s run into the playoffs while hitting a career-high 24 homers and constructing an .839 OPS last year. He batted .380 and had a .451 on-base percentage in 83 plate appearances as a leadoff hitter. These numbers are the product of a small sample size from a career-best season, but it should be noted that he constructed a .333 OBP over the 405 plate appearances he compiled as the Padres' leadoff hitter in 2022.
Braves leadoff hitters produced just a .306 OBP from May 27 (the day after Acu?a tore his left anterior cruciate ligament) through the end of last season. Acu?a had a .351 OBP last year and Jorge Soler had a .400 OBP in 55 plate appearances from the leadoff spot. But a majority of the leadoff duties were handled by Michael Harris II (.321 OBP in 215 PA) and Jarred Kelenic (.291 OBP in 180 PA).
This is why having a healthy and productive Profar could be a significant benefit for the Braves until they welcome Acu?a back to the lineup and the leadoff role in May.
NERIS TAKES NEXT STEP
Héctor Neris further strengthened his Opening Day roster bid when he worked a scoreless inning to begin Thursday¡¯s game against the Phillies. Neris signed a Minor League contract with the Braves a few weeks after Spring Training began. The veteran reliever has allowed one hit over the two innings completed in two appearances.
Neris, who posted a 1.71 ERA in 71 appearances for Houston in 2023, will have time to make a couple more spring appearances. But barring an injury, he¡¯ll likely be in Atlanta¡¯s bullpen on Opening Day.
¡°He has experience and he¡¯s been in big roles,¡± Snitker said. ¡°You know he can do it. You just look at his stuff. It¡¯s been good.¡±
Enyel De Los Santos and Neris are relievers who could both secure spots as non-roster invitees. The Braves opened two spots on their 40-man roster by sending their two Rule 5 picks back to their former organizations. Right-handed reliever Anderson Pilar was sent back to the Marlins and shortstop Christian Cairo was sent back to the Guardians.
IMPRESSIVE OUTING
When Spencer Schwellenbach struck out 10 over six scoreless innings against a strong Yankees lineup on Wednesday, he again showed he can be at his best when facing the best.
¡°That¡¯s beyond just Spring Training,¡± Snitker said. ¡°You look at the stuff and how he went about it. That¡¯s pretty good at any time of the season.¡±
Schwellenbach highlighted last year¡¯s rookie season by producing a 1.72 ERA in the eight starts he combined to make against National League playoff teams -- Mets (3), Phillies (3), Dodgers (1) and Padres (1). His season debut could come on March 29 in San Diego.