Braves outfielder Michael Harris II to begin minor league rehab assignment with Gwinnett

For once, some encouraging news on the injury front for the Atlanta Braves: center fielder Michael Harris will begin a rehab assignment with Triple-A Gwinnett on Tuesday evening.

Harris, who has not played since June 14 with a hamstring strain, is currently on the 60-day IL. He’s eligible to return as of August 14 when the Braves will be in the midst of a 10-day, 10-game west coast road trip in San Francisco. Harris was originally believed to be progressing well from the hamstring issue with a possible return after the All Star Game, but a minor setback pushed him back a few weeks.

Harris returning should impact the Braves’ outfield greatly. His defense in center field alone brings value, as will shifting Jarred Kelenic out of center field to his more natural left field position. Hopefully it helps Kelenic get back on track offensively. It also means one of Adam Duvall, Eddie Rosario and/or Ramon Laureano won’t be required to start every night, which has been, to put it lightly, a disaster more times than not.

Harris was not having his best season offensively before the injury, batting just .250/.295/.358 with a 81 wRC+. Regardless of his prior production, adding the talented outfielder to the middle of the lineup — where he will presumably hit now that Jorge Soler is in the leadoff spot — should only help the Braves’ cause as they push to overtake the Phillies in the NL East.

If you are in the Memphis area, you should be able to catch a glimpse of Harris as the Stripers will play the Redbirds through Sunday. Be sure to check the lineups ahead of time to confirm Harris is playing that day.

moving from center field to his more comfortable position in left field. I hope it helps Kelenic resume his offensive game. Additionally, it means that none of Eddie Rosario, Adam Duvall, or Ramon Laureano will have to start every night, which has, to put it mildly, been a nightmare the most of the time.

Before the injury, Harris’s season was not going well for him at the plate, with an 81 wRC+ and batting just.250/.295/.358. Adding the gifted outfielder to the middle of the lineup, where he will likely hit now that Jorge Soler is in the leadoff spot, should only aid the Braves in their quest to pass the Phillies in the NL East, regardless of his past performance.

In the event that you are nearby Memphis, you should be able to see Harris in action as the Stripers continue their series against the Redbirds through Sunday. Make sure Harris is playing on that particular day by looking up the lineups in advance.