The Atlanta Braves desperately need Nick Markakis

Nick Markakis is supposed to be back before the end of the season for the Atlanta Braves, but what happens if he doesn’t? What happens if he is not effective?

Since Nick Markakis had his wrist broken on July 26th, the Atlanta Braves have tried to fill his spot in the lineup many different ways and for the most part, there has not been much production.

Some guy named Acuna has increased his numbers over that period and thankfully for the Braves, Ender Inciarte has increased his productivity while Markakis has been sidelined. Since July 26th, Inciarte has a line of .318/.430/.561, while hitting three home runs and driving in 15 runs.

At least… until last night when Inciarte scored but may also have run himself out of the season in the process.

Markakis is speculated to be back by the middle of September, but injuries can be fickle (see Dansby Swanson) and there is also the chance that Markakis will have a significant amount of rust.

The options that have filled in for Markakis have not exactly torn the cover off the baseball, with the exception being Adam Duvall’s torrid one-week stretch.

Take a look at potential replacements for Markakis and what they have done since July 26th:

• In his first six games, Duvall had an OPS of 1.392, but since then he has a line of .091/.167/.091. He has struck out 12 times and walked just twice in 33 at-bats… which explains his bus ticket up the road to Russellville.
• Austin Riley, in 12 at-bats, has hit .167 with five strikeouts. He, too, is hurt and might return around the same time as Markakis.
• Matt Joyce has a line of .174/.240/.304 with a home run and three runs batted in.
• Rafael Ortega is most likely little more than a stop-gap depth guy.
• The good news for Charlie Culberson is that he has hit .256, which is significantly higher than the rest. However, he has struck out 18 times in his last 33 at-bats.
• Finally, Johan Camargo has struggled both in the field and at the plate with a .185/.279/.296 line, with two home runs and seven RBIs… which earned him a demotion to join Duvall.

There has been discussion, including some recent thoughts from Jake, about whether Cristian Pache or Drew Waters would help the team during September, but that seems far-fetched seeing as the Braves already sacrificed 1 player (Wes Parsons) on the 40-man roster altar this week… another would have to go to bring up either of these prospects.

It probably would have been wise for the Braves to obtain a veteran bat at the trade deadline, but hindsight is 20/20.

The bottom line: it is crucial for the Braves to have Markakis back, healthy and productive once his wrist has healed.

The potential issue lies within the timing. Let’s say Markakis takes a little longer to fully heal and he comes back on September 20th. Are five games enough to shake off the rust?

It might end up being a tricky situation, but Markakis, along with Swanson, would once again lengthen the lineup and make it as formidable it was in June and early July.

Unfortunately at this point, a platoon of Duvall and Joyce or throwing Riley out there, who has looked overwhelmed prior to his injury, sets up for a short stay in the playoffs.