Braves' Biggest Red Flags Early in 2023 Season

The Atlanta Braves have looked like the team to beat in the NL East through the first two months of the 2023 season, but their roster is not without a few major question marks that will need to be answered.

The duo of Max Fried and Kyle Wright was as productive as any one-two punch in baseball last season atop the Atlanta rotation, but both are currently on the injured list with more than just a minor injury.

The team is also waiting for the 2022 version of Michael Harris II to show up after he missed time early with an injury, and he is one of a number of key players who has routinely struggled in clutch situations.

Ahead, we've taken a closer look at the Braves' biggest red flags heading into June.

A .223 Average with Runners in Scoring Position

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Austin Riley

It's a bit surprising that the Braves rank fifth in the majors with 5.05 runs per game considering how much they have struggled in the clutch.

Only the Detroit Tigers (.214), Oakland Athletics (.213) and San Diego Padres (.192) have posted a worse mark than the .223 average the Braves have with runners in scoring position this season, and some of the biggest names in their lineup have been the biggest culprits.

• Michael Harris II: 30 PA, .107 BA, 6 K
• Austin Riley: 63 PA, .140 BA, 14 K
• Matt Olson: 62 PA, .173 BA, 22 K

Luckily, the duo of Ronald Acuña Jr. (42 PA, .324 BA, 20 RBI) and Sean Murphy (50 PA, .289 BA, 25 RBI) have helped offset those struggles, but they can't be expected to shoulder the load all season.

A Sophomore Slump for Michael Harris II?

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ATLANTA, GA - MAY 28: Atlanta Braves center fielder Michael Harris II (23) reaches on a fielder's choice during the MLB game between the Philadelphia Phillies and Atlanta Braves on May 28, 2023, at Truist Park in Atlanta, GA. (Photo by John Adams/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Hitting with runners in scoring position has not been the only time that reigning NL Rookie of the Year Michael Harris II has struggled this season.

The 22-year-old is hitting .179/.261/.274 with six extra-base hits in 119 plate appearances, and while he missed 19 games in April with a back strain, he has been back in action for over a month now and is still searching for answers at the plate.

Middling batted-ball metrics, including his average exit velocity (42nd percentile) and hard-hit rate (57th percentile) provide little reason for optimism that a quick turnaround is forthcoming.

After a 5.3-WAR debut, he was expected to be a key piece of the puzzle this season, but so far he has been a non-factor.

The Health of Max Fried and Kyle Wright

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Max Fried

Max Fried has been one of the best pitchers in baseball this season when healthy, posting a 2.08 ERA and 1.08 WHIP in 26 innings spanning five starts, but he is currently sidelined with a forearm strain and he is not expected to return until at least July.

While there has been no indication it is a bigger issue to this point, forearm strains can often be a precursor to Tommy John surgery, so his status will be monitored closely once he starts ramping back up.

At the same time, Kyle Wright is also watching from the sidelines after he was placed on the 60-day injured list with a shoulder strain in early May. He had struggled to a 5.79 ERA and 1.77 WHIP in 18.2 innings prior to being sidelined.

The pair combined to win 35 games while finishing second (Fried) and 10th (Wright) in NL Cy Young voting a year ago, and they have pitched just 44.2 combined innings through the first two months of the 2023 season.

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All stats courtesy of Baseball Reference and accurate through Tuesday's games.