"He does it all. He runs, he fields, he hits” - Former MLB pitcher highlights Ozzie Albies’ crucial role for the Braves amid injury setback 

The Atlanta Braves have placed Ozzie Albies on the 10-day injured list due to a broken right toe and Hall of Fame pitcher Pedro Martinez believes that the team will miss his absence dearly.

The 27-year-old second baseman was struck on his toe by a slider during the Braves' series opener against the Houston Astros on Monday which resulted in a broken toe. Martinez appeared on Tuesday's edition of MLB's "Leadoff" and highlighted Albies' versatile abilities:

"He does it all. He runs, he fields, he hits... He knows how to play the game. He anticipates the situations really, really well.”

Ozzie Albies signed with the Atlanta Braves as an international free agent back in 2013 and went on to make his major league debut with them in August 2017. The following year, he played his first full season in the MLB and has been a crucial part of their team since then. Over the years, he has made three All-Star appearances and was a crucial part of their World Series victory in 2021.

Albies has made a strong start to the 2024 MLB season and has been one of the Braves' better hitters in the first few weeks, slashing .317 with two home runs and 14 RBIs so far. Despite not being among the bigger stars in the team, the infielder has been versatile in defense and reliable from the plate.

The Braves have had several injuries over the past few weeks but have dealt with them well as they head into their second game against the Astros with a 10-5 record.

Braves infielder Ozzie Albies opens up on toe injury and outlines aim to return to action

Despite being struck by a slider in the second innings of the game, Atlanta Braves second baseman Ozzie Albies continued in the game on Monday. However, the X-ray after the game revealed a broken toe, resulting in the Braves placing him in the 10-day IL.

Speaking to the media on Tuesday, Albies described the injury and when asked if he expects to be back in two weeks, he replied:

"Yeah, I mean, hopefully I feel better and I want to be back out there playing of course."

It will be encouraging for the Braves that Albies has had a good record with injuries so far in his MLB career, rarely missing games over the year. Last season, he was in the IL for only two weeks and played in all the other games for Atlanta.