Braves' Vaughn Grissom: Could platoon with Kelenic
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Grissom could platoon in left field with Jarred Kelenic while also serving as Atlanta's top reserve infielder, David O'Brien of The Athletic reports.
Atlanta wants to get Grissom's bat in the lineup, but it just needs to find a spot for him. He is playing left field in the Puerto Rican Winter League beginning this month, and it seems like he and the lefty-hitting Kelenic will be legitimately competing for at-bats this season. General manager Alex Anthopoulos told reporters Sunday that Kelenic's arrival from Seattle signals an end to their left-field pursuits this winter. If any of Atlanta's infielders get injured, the righty-hitting Grissom could step into more playing time.
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Braves' Vaughn Grissom: Could be moved to left field
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Atlanta general manager Alex Anthopoulos said Wednesday that the team is considering moving Grissom to left field, David O'Brien of The Athletic reports.
Grissom has only played shortstop, second base and third base as a professional, but all of those positions are spoken for long term at the major-league level. Atlanta wants to find a clearer path for the 22-year-old, who slashed .330/.419/.501 across 468 plate appearances this past season with Triple-A Gwinnett.
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Braves' Vaughn Grissom: Will be on NLDS roster
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Grissom will be part of Atlanta's roster for the NLDS against the Phillies, Justin Toscano of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.
Grissom posted a weak .659 OPS over 80 major-league plate appearances during the regular season, but he had a .921 OPS in 468 plate appearances with Triple-A Gwinnett. The talented 22-year-old infielder can function as a useful pinch runner, bench bat and possible defensive replacement in Atlanta's best-of-five NLDS matchup versus Philadelphia.
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Braves' Vaughn Grissom: Returns from MiLB IL
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Grissom (hip) was activated from the 7-day injured list Thursday, per the MiLB's transactions log.
Grissom ended up on the injured list Sept. 11 due to a right hip injury, but it ended up being a short absence for the second baseman. He's slashing .332/.421/.505 with eight homers, 60 RBI, 11 stolen bases and 72 runs scored over 96 minor-league contests so far this year.
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Braves' Vaughn Grissom: Lands on Triple-A injured list
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Triple-A Gwinnett placed Grissom on its 7-day injured list Tuesday with a right hip injury, David O'Brien of The Athletic reports.
With the big-league active roster expanding to 28 men in September, Grissom would have been a candidate to return to Atlanta at some point during the final month of the season, but the hip injury could end up thwarting those plans. After a promising showing in his first taste of the majors in the second half of last season, Grissom missed out on a spot on Atlanta's Opening Day roster and has logged just 80 plate appearances in the big leagues in 2023.
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Braves' Vaughn Grissom: Headed back to minors
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Grissom was optioned to Triple-A Gwinnett on Monday, David O'Brien of The Athletic reports.
Grissom made just two starts after taking Ozzie Albies' spot on the roster when the latter landed on the injured list with a hamstring strain. With Albies now back in the fold, Grissom will return to Gwinnett to play regularly.
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Braves' Vaughn Grissom: First start since recall
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Grissom will start at second base and bat ninth in Monday's game against the Mets.
Atlanta faced right-handers for the first six games after Ozzie Albies (hamstring) went on the injured list, with Nicky Lopez receiving the nod at second base in each of those contests. However, with southpaw David Peterson taking the hill for New York on Monday, the lefty-hitting Lopez will head to the bench to clear room for Grissom at the keystone. Grissom is 0-for-2 in two pinch-hitting appearances since being recalled from Triple-A Gwinnett.
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Braves' Vaughn Grissom: On bench again Friday
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Grissom is absent from the lineup for Friday's game versus the Giants.
It's Atlanta's third game since Grissom was recalled from Triple- A Gwinnett and he has yet to see any action as the team continues to roll with Nicky Lopez at second base while Ozzie Albies (hamstring) is out. Atlanta has faced a righty in all three contests, so it's possible Grissom will draw some starts versus lefties. The 22-year-old had a .327/.412/.494 slash line at Gwinnett with six homers and 11 steals in 88 games.
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Braves' Vaughn Grissom: Headed back to majors
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Grissom was recalled from Triple-A Gwinnett on Tuesday.
Grissom will return to Atlanta for the first time since May, joining the big club as a replacement on the 26-man active roster for Ozzie Albies (hamstring), who was placed on the 10-day injured list. With Albies out for at least the next week and a half, Grissom could see some action at second base -- perhaps against left-handed pitching -- but he may be second in line to the lefty-hitting Nicky Lopez versus right-handers. Grissom hasn't done much in his brief time in the majors this season but has been excellent at Gwinnett, sporting a .327/.412/.494 batting line with six home runs and 11 stolen bases over 403 plate appearances.
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Braves' Vaughn Grissom: Rests for second doubleheader game
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Grissom is out of the lineup for the second game of Monday's doubleheader with the Mets.
Grissom will get a breather after he went 1-for-4 and committed a throwing error in Atlanta's 9-8 win in the opening game of the day. Ehire Adrianza will fill in for Grissom at shortstop, ending the latter's streak of five consecutive starts.
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Braves' Vaughn Grissom: Sits after lackluster run of starts
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Grissom is out of the lineup for Monday's game against the Marlins.
For the first time since being called up from Triple-A Gwinnett on April 14 in the wake of top shortstop Orlando Arcia (wrist) landing on the injured list, Grissom will get a day off. Ehire Adrianza will fill in at shortstop in place of Grissom, who slashed .273/.314/.303 with one extra-base hit (a double) and no stolen bases during his nine-game run in the starting lineup.
Grissom will start at shortstop and bat sixth in Monday's game in San Diego.
Grissom has produced hits in each of his first three starts since being called up from Triple-A Gwinnett on Friday. While Orlando Arcia (wrist) remains on the injured list for the foreseeable future, Grissom looks like he'll be locked in as Atlanta's full-time starter at shortstop, despite the organization's concerns about his defense.
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Braves' Vaughn Grissom: Possible waiver wire pickups
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Before you turn to Zach Neto to meet your unexpected shortstop need, make sure Vaughn Grissom isn't rostered already. We've already seen him deliver at the major-league level, after all, batting .291 (41 for 141) with five homers, five steals and a .792 OPS down the stretch last season. True, he doesn't have eligibility at shortstop yet, but he's started the past three games there for the Braves, filling in for an injured Orlando Arcia, and should pick it up by the end of the week. The 22-year-old was considered the favorite for the starting shortstop job coming into spring training and may run with it now, giving you a dual-eligible middle infielder who'll help in batting average while making reasonable contributions in home runs and stolen bases.
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Braves' Vaughn Grissom: Starting at shortstop Friday
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Grissom is starting at shortstop and batting seventh Friday at Kansas City.
Grissom was called up from Triple-A Gwinnett on Friday morning and has an opportunity to take over as Atlanta's everyday shortstop with Orlando Arcia (wrist) hitting the injured list in a corresponding move. Grissom was off to a tremendous start this season in the International League, slashing .366/.458/.585 with one home run and two stolen bases through 10 games. The 22-year-old offers category-spanning fantasy upside.
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Braves' Vaughn Grissom: Recalled from Triple-A
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Grissom was recalled from Triple-A Gwinnett by Atlanta on Friday.
The 22-year-old is set to take over as Atlanta's everyday shortstop with Orlando Arcia (wrist) landing on the injured list. Grissom has crushed it at Gwinnett this season, slashing .366/.458/.585 with one homer, two stolen bases and a 6:4 BB:K. His glove remains a work in progress, but he showed his fantasy upside last season and should be picked up in most leagues where he's still available.
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Braves' Vaughn Grissom: In line for MLB return
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Grissom will likely be recalled by Atlanta before its next game against Kansas City on Friday, Jim Bowden of The Athletic reports.
With Orlando Arcia headed for the injured list after scans revealed a microfracture in his wrist Thursday, Grissom figures to be the primary option to fill in at shortstop for Atlanta. The 22-year-old infielder has been stellar at the plate with Triple-A Gwinnett, slashing .366/.458/.585 on the year, but problems with his glove kept Grissom out of the majors to start the season.
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Braves' Vaughn Grissom: Defense at short remains priority
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Grissom will see action at both shortstop and second base for Triple-A Gwinnett, David O'Brien of The Athletic reports.
Atlanta wants Grissom to keep working on his defense at shortstop but also wants Braden Shewmake to show that his improved hitting in camp wasn't a small-sample fluke, so the solution will be for both to start every day at Gwinnett but rotate where they play out in the field. Orlando Arcia's starting assignment at shortstop in the majors seems fairly tenuous, so if either prospect gets off to a hot start at Triple-A and seems ready to handle a full-time gig in the majors, a quick promotion remains very possible. Grissom did display progress with his glove in camp under the tutelage of Ron Washington and went 13-for-35 (.371) at the plate with a 2:4 BB:K, and he remains the most likely long-term solution for the club at shortstop.
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Braves' Vaughn Grissom: Still not seeing action in field
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Grissom got the start at DH on Saturday and went 1-for-3 with a walk and two runs scored in a Grapefruit League game against the Phillies.
That's now four straight days in which Grissom hasn't made an appearance at shortstop, an ominous sign for a player whose defense was seen as the biggest obstacle between him and the starting assignment Opening Day. He's done everything he needs to do at the plate this spring, however, going 10-for-31 (.323) with a 2:3 BB:K, so the only question now is whether Atlanta prefers Grissom's bat or Braden Shewmake's glove. Whichever young shortstop doesn't win the starting gig will open the season at Triple-A Gwinnett.
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Braves' Vaughn Grissom: May not make Opening Day roster
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Atlanta manager Brian Snitker hinted Saturday that Grissom is not a lock to make the Opening Day roster, Mark Bowman of MLB.com reports.
"We're going to take one of the two (Braden Shewmake or Grissom) more than likely," Snitker said. "We'll see who we leave with in a couple of weeks." Grissom was the presumed starter coming into spring camp, and while he's hit .321 with a .738 OPS in 32 plate appearances, he's had defensive issues, and Shewmake has impressed during Grapefruit League play. There's a good chance Grissom wins the job or is called up early even if he does not, but obviously this has the potential to put a major damper on his fantasy stock heading into the 2023 campaign.
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Braves' Vaughn Grissom: Looking good at plate
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Grissom went 3-for-3 with a double and two RBI in Tuesday's Grapefruit League game against the Twins.
The 22-year-old got the start at shortstop and hit second in the order, but Atlanta has few concerns about his bat. Whether Grissom emerges as the Opening Day starter at short will depend largely on the progress he makes with his defense, but so far so good with the glove in the early part of spring training. If he proves to need more work with that part of his game, Orlando Arcia would get the nod while the younger infielder begins the season at Triple-A, but the job seems to be Grissom's to lose.
