July 21, 2024 - All Mississippi Baseball

sudden change

Down goes Ozzie Albies. Up comes Nacho Alvarez. That’s what mlb.com’s Mark Bowman has reported. Having lost second baseman Albies, a former Mississippi Braves shortstop, for eight weeks with a broken wrist on Sunday, the Braves apparently will replace him with Alvarez, the M-Braves’ 2024 opening day shortstop. Alvarez, drafted in 2022 out of a California juco, rose quickly on the Braves’ prospect charts. He moved from third base to short this season and batted .265 with no homers, 15 RBIs and 16 steals in 48 games with the Double-A M-Braves. After a promotion to Triple-A Gwinnett in early June, he really took off. The 5-foot-11, 190-pound righty hitter batted .336 with seven homers, 24 RBIs and five bags in 28 games with the Stripers. Alvarez has never played second base in pro ball. When he debuts, possibly Monday vs. Cincinnati, Alvarez will join Albies, Braden Shewmake, Vaughn Grissom, Dansby Swanson, Johan Camargo, Luis Hernandez, Yunel Escobar, Diory Hernandez, Brandon Hicks, Brent Lillibridge, Tyler Pastornicky, Andrelton Simmons, Ed Lucas, Daniel Castro and Dylan Moore as M-Braves shortstops to make the big leagues.

family affair

On a three Dog night in Arlington, Texas, on Saturday, only Jordan Westburg came away feeling any joy. Ex-Mississippi State star Westburg and the Baltimore Orioles celebrated an 8-4 win against Texas, handing former Bulldogs Nathaniel Lowe and Justin Foscue another hard loss. Westburg, a teammate of Foscue’s in Starkville, went 3-for-5 with a homer and three RBIs as the Orioles, first in the American League East, won their 60th game. The Rangers, defending World Series champs, dropped their second straight to the O’s out of the All-Star break and fell to 46-52, 6 games back of surging Houston in the AL West. Lowe and rookie Foscue — recalled from the minors on Saturday — each had a hit and scored a run in the Rangers’ second inning, when they cut a 4-0 deficit to 4-2. It got no closer. Foscue was hitting .241 with three homers and 15 RBIs at Triple-A Round Rock; Saturday was his first MLB game since April 7, when he went on the injured list. Westburg, a 2024 All-Star, is batting .273 with 16 homers for a Baltimore club that leads the majors in bombs. For the record, Brent Rooker, another ex-State star, hit his 22nd homer Saturday for Oakland and leads all Mississippians (native or school alum) in homers this season. (Rooker reportedly is a hot trade candidate.) DeSoto Central High product Austin Riley belted his 13th homer for Atlanta. Of note: Former Southern Miss standout Chuckie Robinson went 1-for-3 in his 2024 big league debut for the Chicago White Sox.