For the second time this season, the Braves have made the aggressive decision to call up their top prospect from Double-A Mississippi.
A little more than two months after doing the same with rookie standout Michael Harris II, Atlanta announced Wednesday that it selected the contract of infielder Vaughn Grissom, the No. 98 prospect in baseball according to MLB Pipeline. In a corresponding move, the club placed infielder Orlando Arcia on the 10-day injured list after he strained his left hamstring Tuesday.
Picked by the Braves in the 11th round of the 2019 Draft, Grissom has emerged into one of the best contact hitters in the Minors over his first two full professional seasons. The 21-year-old opened this year with High-A Rome, where he hit .312/.404/.487. That prompted a mid-July promotion to Double-A, where he’s slashed .363/.408/.516 over 22 games.
Across both levels, Grissom has totaled 14 home runs, 67 RBIs and 27 stolen bases. That’s to go along with a 12.2% strikeout rate.
Primarily a shortstop, Grissom has played seven games this season at second base, where he’s expected to slot in with Ozzie Albies (fractured left foot) and Arcia sidelined. Since June 14, the day after Albies sustained his injury, Atlanta second basemen are slashing .212/.279/.341 with a 72 wRC+.
In addition to calling up Grissom and placing Arcia on the IL, the Braves reinstated right-handed reliever Kirby Yates from his rehabilitation assignment, reinstated infielder Mike Ford from the IL and designated him for assignment and transferred outfielder Adam Duvall to the 60-day IL.