Whit Merrifield agrees to deal with Braves

A day after losing Ozzie Albies to a left wrist fracture, the Braves made a pair of moves aimed at mitigating the loss of their three-time All-Star second baseman.

Atlanta signed utility man Whit Merrifield to a Major League contract on Monday and recalled its No. 5 prospect, Nacho Alvarez Jr., from Triple-A. Merrifield, a three-time All-Star himself, was released by the Phillies on July 12 after hitting .199 with a .572 OPS in 53 games. He’s expected to provide infield depth for the Braves.

Alvarez, primarily a shortstop so far in the Minors, is expected to play second base for Atlanta. In 76 games this season between Double-A and Triple-A, Alvarez has hit .293 with seven homers, 39 RBIs and an .818 OPS. Since his promotion to Triple-A on June 12, he’s hit .336 with a 1.007 OPS in 28 games.

The loss of Albies was the second injury blow for the Braves on Sunday. Atlanta also lost All-Star left-hander Max Fried with left forearm neuritis, which is expected to keep him out of action for at least two weeks. And those two setbacks were just the latest in what’s been a season of obstacles for the Braves.

“It gets to a point where it’s kind of over the top a little bit,” manager Brian Snitker told reporters after Sunday’s game. “Depth will cover to an extent, but after a while, it’s hard.”