Braves' Albies suffers elbow fracture

Braves No. 2 prospect Ozzie Albies will miss the rest of the playoffs and the Arizona Fall League after the team revealed the shortstop fractured his elbow.

Braves vice chairman John Schuerholz said on the Braves Banter radio show that the 19-year-old suffered the injury -- a fracture of the olecranon bone -- on Wednesday with Double-A Mississippi. He's expected to require surgery.

"That's a tough loss for us," Schuerholz told the Atlanta-Journal Constitution. "But he's young, he's a strong-bodied guy, and I don't have any worries about his being able to get back soon and be battling for a big-league spot in Spring Training next year."

Albies suffered the injury in Game 1 of the Southern League semifinals when he fouled a pitch down the third-base line against Pensacola. According to MLB.com, Albies "appeared to be in agonizing pain as he hopped out of the batter's box, grabbing his right arm as he slumped over." A video of the swing posted to Twitter appeared to show the injury as well.

@HearKyleTait @mlbbowman pic.twitter.com/NjrNDVE9mY

- Steve Hardy (@Shardy1963) September 8, 2016

 

Schuerholtz said it was a "huge blow for him and us, but he will be back," according to Braves Banter. Albies was back in uniform Thursday when he took brought lineup card out to the umpire crew.

Albies was evaluated by an associate of Dr. James Andrews on Thursday and was officially placed on the disabled list. Andrews, who often performs major surgeries for baseball players, was out of town, according to MLB.com.

Albies, a switch-hitting middle infielder who signed with the Braves in 2013 out of Curacao, was hitting .292 with six homers, 53 RBIs and 30 steals in 138 games between Mississippi and Triple-A Gwinnett. He won the Southern League batting title with a .321 average in 82 games but hit .248 in 56 contests in the International League.

The infielder, MLB.com's No. 14 overall prospect, is expected to spend the winter recovering in hopes of being ready for Spring Training. The Braves had hoped to send him to the Arizona Fall League this offseason and have him compete for Atlanta's second base job next spring.

Mississippi hosts Pensacola in Game 3 of their Southern League playoff series Friday. The series is tied, 1-1.