ATLANTA -- Braves manager Walt Weiss said Drake Baldwin could be activated from the injured list during the next homestand, which runs from June 16-21.
“He's coming along,” Weiss said. “We're getting to the point where you start to look down the road a little bit and start to wonder when it might happen. So, I think realistically the next time we're at home.”
Baldwin strained his right oblique muscle while playing the Marlins on May 18. When he was diagnosed with a Grade 1 strain the next day, the hope was he wouldn’t miss much more than a month.
Baldwin’s return should provide a significant boost to Atlanta's lineup. The reigning NL Rookie of the Year was hitting .303 with 13 homers and a .932 OPS when he was injured.
Sandy León and Chadwick Tromp have been serving as Atlanta’s catchers over the past two weeks. León was playing in the Mexican League when the Braves called him to replace veteran catcher Sean Murphy, who fractured his left middle finger on May 10. Tromp was promoted from Triple-A Gwinnett when Baldwin was injured eight days later.