The Atlanta Braves were more than happy on Monday after adding shortstop Dansby Swanson back to its lineup after a longer-than-expected absence.
The NL East leaders lost their starting shortstop in late July after the former #1 overall pick bruised his heel. While Swanson was originally expected to miss only a few days with an injury that didn’t seem too serious on the surface, he ended up stuck on the injured list for over a month.
The Braves were finally able to add Swanson back to their lineup on Monday at Coors Field against the Rockies. The Vanderbilt product went 0-4 with three strikeouts in his return to the lineup, but his return to the lineup provides great optimism as the team heads into the final month of play.
Swanson was in the midst of a breakout season before injuring his heel, as he had posted a .262 batting average with 17 home runs before going down. That offensive production combined with his good glovework at shortstop has made him one of Atlanta’s most important players.
The Braves lost 3-1 to the Rockies in Swanson’s return to the lineup, reducing their lead in the NL East over the Washington Nationals to 5.5 games.
