Eli White back from paternity list

The Red Sox are going to roll with Eli White and Jahmai Jones as their lefty-mashing specialists, in addition to Nick Sogard seeing regular time at second base, with Gonzalez going to the minors in the wake of their trade deadline moves. The 29-year-old infielder has hit just .185 (12-for-65) with one homer, seven RBI and one steal in 19 games this season.

White bolsters Boston’s bench mix and should get some chances against left-handed starters over the final two months. The 32-year-old has been a key role player for Atlanta over the last two years.

The Braves wanted to add an outfielder who could start against lefties, and Thomas fits nicely there, as long as they don’t get overexcited and start using him versus righties, too. Thomas has an .800 OPS against lefties and a .660 OPS against righties this year. For his career, he’s at .850 against lefties and .669 versus righties. The Braves didn’t have to part with any top prospects, so it’s a solid pickup. With Thomas in the mix, the Braves might move on from Eli White. Isaac Collins and Josh Rojas should get more time in Kansas City with Thomas out of the mix.

White will be away from the club for a couple days on paternity leave. The 32-year-old has been a strong fit with Atlanta as a reserve outfielder the last few years. He’s delivered a respectable .227 (25-for-110) average with four homers and four steals in 119 plate appearances over 53 games this season.

White got the start in right field against the left-handed Sean Manaea. That paid off right away, as White took Manaea deep for a solo homer in the second inning. With the bases loaded in the third, he cleared them all with a double to drive in three more runs. The 32-year-old outfielder is on the short side of a platoon, hitting .229/.274/.404 with four homers and 18 RBI across 117 plate appearances.

It had looked like Harris would miss his third straight game due to a nagging back issue, but he worked out before the game and decided he was able to give it a go. He’ll start in center field and bat fifth for the Braves with Mauricio Dubon shifting to left and Eli White being removed from the team’s starting lineup.

It’s another start for Eli White in Harris’ absence as he simply can’t seem to shake this back injury. Harris probably will get another shot to play over the weekend if the Braves like where he’s at, but shutting him down a few days makes sense giving how long this has lingered.

Harris singled and scored a run before leaving Tuesday’s rain-soaked series opener at Truist Park. He was replaced by Eli White in left field. It’s possible his exit was precautionary in nature since he missed time with a back issue earlier this month. There should be an update on his status following the contest.

White put the Braves on the board with a double to drive in a run in the second inning. He then extended the lead with a solo homer in the fourth, driving in two of the team’s three runs on the day. White added a double in the seventh for his third extra-base hit. Saturday marked his first start in a week. The 31-year-old is hitting .244/.294/.436 with three homers and 14 RBI across 85 plate appearances.

Braves manager Walt Weiss said late Tuesday that Acuña was day-to-day and that they didn’t think the injury was as severe as the previous hamstring injury that kept him out for 17 days last month. However, an MRI today must have told a different story. Acuña will miss at least the next 10 days, and potentially longer, since the Braves have a comfortable lead in the NL East and will want to make sure their star player is healthy. Soft tissue injuries tend to recur, and Acuña has also had two knee surgeries, so even though he has 15 steals already this season, there is a chance that the collection of lower-body injuries may keep him from reaching the heights we saw in 2023. Eli White should see regular starts in the outfield while Acuña is sidelined.