Atlanta Braves outfielder Lane Thomas will go on the 10-day injured list after the Braves scratched him from Thursday's game against the Tampa Bay Rays. Thomas, a deadline day acquisition from the Kansas City Royals, dealt with left side tightness ahead of Thursday's game, which seems to be the reason for the move. Thomas played 21 games for the Braves prior to his move to the IL, though he hasn't made much of an impact since his arrival.
After posting a .719 OPS with 10 homers and 37 RBIs with the Royals through his first 97 games of the season, Thomas has just a .578 OPS through 21 games with the Braves, hitting just one homer and driving in three runs. The Braves won't miss Thomas too much, as they have multiple healthy outfielders more than capable of handling things until he returns. Mike Yastrzemski ordinarily holds down left field, Michael Harris II is having a fantastic year in center and Ronald Acuña Jr. is a mainstay in right.
Thomas, despite struggling through recent years, has a couple of solid seasons under his belt in MLB. His best days came with the Washington Nationals, posting 1.1 bWAR for the team through just 45 games during the 2021 season. Thomas played 146 games the following season, posting an above league average OPS+ with 1.6 bWAR — a career high up to that point.
The outfielder's best year to date in MLB, though, came in 2023, when he posted 3.3 bWAR for the Nationals through 156 games. He mashed 28 homers that season, tallying 86 RBIs with a .738 OPS on the season. Despite his fantastic efforts that year, a competitive outfield in the National League kept him out of the All-Star team.
Thomas hasn't reached the same heights since, coming the closest during his stint with the Royals at the beginning of the 2026 season. He still provides some value for the Braves, though, and will hope to rejoin the team before the postseason begins at the end of September. As their fourth-choice outfielder, Thomas will provide reliable depth for the team as they aim to win their second World Series championship this decade.
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