The Atlanta Braves got an update on outfielder Lane Thomas.
The Atlanta Braves got a promising update on outfielder Lane Thomas during their current series with the Cincinnati Reds. Thomas is working his way back from a strained left intercostal muscle, and the recovery is trending in the right direction. With the postseason days away, any sign of progress matters for Atlanta’s bench.
The latest word came from MLB.com’s Mark Bowman. Thomas received a cortisone injection last week and has since taken swings off a tee. No firm timetable has been set, but he is ahead of schedule. Still, there is real optimism that he could be available during the early part of the playoffs, potentially even the Wild Card round.
The injury came at a rough time. Atlanta placed Thomas on the 10-day injured list on September 11, retroactive to September 8. He felt discomfort in his rib cage during batting practice before a game against the Tampa Bay Rays. Early estimates called for at least a month on the shelf, which put his postseason status in doubt.
The response to treatment has since changed the outlook. Getting back onto a tee this quickly suggests he is slightly ahead of the original schedule. It is a small but meaningful first step toward returning to game action.
Thomas arrived in Atlanta at the August 2 trade deadline. The Braves sent left-hander Carter Holton and right-hander Lucas Braun to the Royals to land him and left-hander Bailey Falter.
The move filled a clear need. Atlanta wanted a right-handed bat to face left-handed pitching. The results in a Braves uniform have not followed yet. Thomas has hit just .171 across 41 at-bats since the trade. His larger body of work tells a different story, though. This season he batted .262 with an .804 OPS against left-handers, which is exactly the split Atlanta targeted.
The 31-year-old veteran has played for three other organizations aside from Kansas City and Atlanta. Thomas has also suited up for the St. Louis Cardinals, Washington Nationals and Cleveland Guardians. He peaked in 2023, when he hit 28 home runs, stole 20 bases and posted a .268 batting average.
The Braves have clinched the NL East at 92-65 entering Wednesday. They are pretty much locked into the No. 3 seed. That sends them into a best-of-three Wild Card round at home, where bench depth becomes a lot more important. In a short series, every roster spot matters. A right-handed bench bat who can punish left-handed relievers in October is exactly the kind of luxury a contender wants down the stretch.
