Braves' Nacho Alvarez: Batting second in MLB debut
Rotowire
Alvarez will start at second base and bat second Monday versus the Reds in his major-league debut.
Alvarez is not only filling in for Ozzie Albies (wrist) at second base, he's also assuming Albies' spot in Atlanta's batting order. The 21-year-old infielder earned a call-up after slashing .293/.401/.417 with seven home runs and 21 stolen bases across 334 plate appearances between Double-A Mississippi and Triple-A Gwinnett. Alvarez will need to hold off Whit Merrifield for reps at second base, but he'll get the first crack at the keystone in Albies' absence.
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Braves' Nacho Alvarez: Call-up official
Rotowire
Atlanta selected Alvarez's contract from Triple-A Gwinnett on Monday.
The 21-year-old will reach the big leagues for the first time after he slashed .293/.401/.417 with seven home runs and 21 stolen bases across 334 plate appearances between Gwinnett and Double-A Mississippi. Alvarez has played shortstop and third base during his minor-league career, but his athleticism and defensive instincts should allow him to emerge as an option at second base while Ozzie Albies (wrist) is sidelined, likely until the second half of September. Atlanta signed veteran utility player Whit Merrifield to also provide depth at second base, but Alvarez should get the first chance to fill in for Albies.
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Braves' Nacho Alvarez: Promotion coming Monday
Rotowire
Alvarez is expected to be promoted from Triple-A Gwinnett on Monday, Mark Bowman of MLB.com reports.
Though Alvarez is being brought up from the minors to help replace the injured Ozzie Albies (wrist), he'll face competition for reps at the keystone from Zack Short and Whit Merrifield, the latter of whom agreed to a one-year, major-league deal with Atlanta on Monday. Alvarez, lacks prior MLB experience but has impressed between stops at Gwinnett and Double-A Mississippi this season, slashing .293/.401/.417 with seven home runs and 21 stolen bases over 334 plate appearances. The 21-year-old has played only shortstop and third base during his minor-league career, but per David O'Brien of The Athletic, Atlanta is confident he can make the defensive switch without issue.
Braves' Nacho Alvarez: Likely to be called up Monday
Rotowire
Atlanta is expected to call up Alvarez from Triple-A Gwinnett on Monday, Mark Bowman of MLB.com reports.
Alvarez will join Atlanta ahead of its three-game home series with the Reds on Monday, with Ozzie Albies (wrist) set to go on the injured list in a corresponding move. The 21-year-old has produced an impressive .342/.425/.586 slash line with seven home runs, 24 RBI, 19 runs scored and five stolen bases over 27 games with Gwinnett after getting a promotion from Double-A Mississippi on June 12. Alvarez will likely get the first opportunity to serve as Atlanta's everyday second baseman while Albies is expected to be sidelined for approximately eight weeks.
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Braves' Nacho Alvarez: Bumped up to Triple-A
Rotowire
Atlanta promoted Alvarez from Double-A Mississippi to Triple-A Gwinnett on Wednesday.
A 21-year-old shortstop, Alvarez didn't hit a home run over his 202 plate appearances with Mississippi, but he earned the promotion after going 16-for-17 on stolen-base attempts while getting on base at a .381 clip.
Braves' Ignacio Alvarez: Leading Sally League in OBP
Rotowire
Alvarez, 20, has a .317 average and .496 OBP with zero home runs and seven steals through 25 games for High-A Rome.
Alvarez's 154 wRC+ ranks 12th in the South Atlantic League, but the majority of that production is tied to his league-leading .496 OBP, while his .378 slugging percentage ranks in the bottom half of the league. He has continued his trend from last season, where his walk rate (24.8 percent) is more than double his strikeout rate (10.6 percent), and when he does connect, he's usually hitting singles to the opposite field. Alvarez has played almost exclusively at shortstop and has a .979 fielding percentage. If he can stick at the six, it's possible his high-OBP, low-impact offensive profile could be enough to play at the highest level.
