The Atlanta Braves put Drake Baldwin on the 10-day injured list Tuesday, with an MRI revealing that the star catcher has a Grade 1 right oblique strain.
Baldwin, the reigning National League Rookie of the Year, was replaced by backup catcher Sandy Leon in the sixth inning of Monday's 12-0 loss to the Miami Marlins.
Manager Walt Weiss said Baldwin initially felt a slight discomfort after his second at-bat but not painful enough to warrant his removal.
"He felt a little more after the last at-bat," Weiss said. "I took him out of the game after that one. Obliques are obliques and they're never fun to deal with."
Baldwin returned to Atlanta for an MRI and additional testing, which revealed the Grade 1 (least severe) strain.
Situated in one of the top two spots of the batting order all season, Baldwin is hitting .303 with 13 home runs, 38 RBIs and a .932 OPS this season as the Braves (32-16) have charged out to a seven-game lead in the NL East entering Tuesday.
"Everyone deals with this," Weiss said. "It's part of a major league season. Virtually every team is going to deal with their fair share of injuries. It's tough when it happens to your best players. You've got to find a way to get through it and guys have to step up."
Last season, Baldwin became the first catcher since Buster Posey in 2010 to win Rookie of the Year. Baldwin hit 19 homers and drove in 80 runs, receiving 21 of 30 first-place votes.
Outfielder Ronald Acuña Jr., who has been sidelined since May 2 because of a strained left hamstring, returned to the lineup against the Marlins on Tuesday, batting leadoff and scoring three runs in the team's 8-4 win over the Marlins.
"I guess, if there is a silver lining, we replace Baldwin with a guy like Ronald Acuña," Weiss said. "Not many teams get to do that. That's the good news there. But truth be told -- we're losing arguably our best hitter. Drake has been unbelievable."
In related roster moves, Atlanta called up catcher Chadwick Tromp from Triple-A Gwinnett. The Braves also reinstated left-hander Dylan Dodd from the IL, recalled right-hander Victor Mederos, optioned right-hander JR Ritchie and released veteran left-handed reliever Aaron Bummer.
Bummer gave up five walks in one inning of Monday's loss to the Marlins, allowing six runs as his ERA ballooned to 7.63 in 15â…“ innings of work this season.
Ritchie, who was selected No. 35 in the 2022 amateur draft, went 1-1 in his first five MLB starts, posting a 4.91 ERA with 21 strikeouts and 16 walks.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
