The Atlanta Braves catcher Drake Baldwin has been out for the team on the 10-day injured list since May 19th with a strained right oblique muscle. Baldwin was removed from a game in mid-May against the Miami Marlins after feeling discomfort while batting.
The reigning National League Rookie of the Year was on an All-Star pace before going down with the injury. In 48 games, Baldwin slashed .303/.389/.543, good for a .932 OPS to go along with 13 home runs and 38 RBI. The 25-year-old was easily the best catcher in baseball during that span.
A typical oblique strain recovery in baseball lasts three to six weeks, Baldwin has yet to resume baseball activities two weeks into the injury.
The Braves seem to be cautious with getting the sophomore back to the big league team, and he is not expected to return until mid to late June. As Mark Bowman points out, the Braves dealt with a similar situation with catcher Brian McCann in 2011. Before McCann's injury that season, he was crushing and was selected to his sixth consecutive All-Star team. But after a left oblique strain in late-July that saw him return three weeks later, McCann hit to a .173 batting average the rest of the season.
Atlanta is hoping to avoid this same issue with Baldwin and hope to see him back at Truist Park amid the dog days of summer.
The Braves catching position has struggled with Baldwin's absence. The team is swapping between Sandy León and Chadwick Tromp to fill the catching duties, the two combine for a .316 OPS on the season.
However, the Braves as a whole have continued their dominance, they are 8-4 without Baldwin. As a team this season, the Braves have the third-best OPS in baseball at .761 along with the second most home runs at 84. They also hold the second-best run differential behind the Los Angeles Dodgers at +109. Following two disappointing seasons in 2024 and 2025, the Braves have seemingly slipped back into their winning ways which saw them win 104 games in 2023.
They currently lead the National League East division by nine games over the Washington Nationals, which is by far the largest division lead in baseball. They sit 20 games above the .500 mark.
If the Braves can keep this pace up with their starting catcher away, they may be unstoppable when he returns in late-June.
The Braves host the Toronto Blue Jays for three games starting Tuesday night.
