Braves Prospect Nacho Alvarez Hit with Crushing Setback — Career in Jeopardy?

One of the Atlanta Braves’ top prospects is once again facing injury trouble. Infielder Nacho Alvarez, recently back from a wrist injury, has now suffered a new setback.

After returning to action on June 16, Alvarez had been performing well for Triple-A Gwinnett over a 10-day stretch. However, on Thursday, MLB.com’s Mark Bowman reported that Alvarez exited his most recent game with a strained oblique.

Ranked as the Braves’ No. 3 prospect by MLB.com, Alvarez is currently the highest-rated position player in the organization’s top five. Previously joined by catcher Drake Baldwin in that group, Baldwin has since dropped off due to accruing MLB service time. Only pitchers Cam Caminiti and Hurston Waldrep are ranked above Alvarez.

Alvarez made his MLB debut with the Braves on July 22 of last season but struggled mightily during his brief stint—recording just 3 hits in 30 at-bats (.100 average), striking out 10 times and being hit by pitches twice in 32 plate appearances. He was sent back to Triple-A at the end of July 2024 and hasn’t returned to the majors since.

That looked like it might change soon, as Alvarez had been red-hot since his return, batting .379 with a 1.113 OPS in nine games leading up to June 26. In 73 career Triple-A games, he’s slashed .305/.391/.500 with 11 home runs, 46 RBIs, and 55 runs in 330 plate appearances.

Now, with an oblique strain—which often requires several weeks of recovery—Alvarez’s return to form could be delayed yet again. Considering he already missed two months earlier this season with left wrist inflammation, there’s a chance he could run out of time to make a meaningful impact in the minors this year.