The Atlanta Braves placed center fielder Michael Harris II on the injured list on Friday, less than a day after he departed a game against the San Diego Padres because of back tightness. In a corresponding move, the Braves brought up veteran utility player Eli White from Triple-A Gwinnett.
Harris, 22, had gotten off to a slow start this season. In seven games to date, he has batted .217/.280/.261 with no home runs and two stolen bases (on two tries). Harris, of course, won last season's National League Rookie of the Year Award, posting a 135 OPS+ and -- thanks to his high-grade defense -- amassing 5.3 Wins Above Replacement over the course of 114 games.
The Braves rewarded Harris' ascent to stardom by signing him to an eight-year pact worth $72 million guaranteed.
White, 28, appeared in 130 games with the Texas Rangers over the last three seasons. He hit .185/.260/.296 with nine home runs and 17 stolen bases (on 22 tries) over those outings. White joined the Braves organization earlier this year and followed up a strong showing in spring training by launching three home runs in four games with Gwinnett.
It's to be seen if White's newfound power stroke is legitimate or merely a small-sample mirage, but slugging had seldom been part of his game in the past. Even now, his career minor-league slugging percentage is just .419.
During Harris' absence, the Braves figure to employ a center-field timeshare between White and Sam Hilliard, another offseason addition by way of the Colorado Rockies.
The Braves continue their season on Friday night with the second contest of a four-contest series against the Padres. Jared Shuster will make his second career start. He'll be countered by Nick Martinez.
