Braves 2B Ozzie Albies expected to miss approximately 8 weeks with a broken wrist

ATLANTA (AP) — Braves second baseman Ozzie Albies broke his left wrist late in Sunday’s loss to the St. Louis Cardinals and is expected to be out for about eight weeks.

Albies was injured while trying to catch a pitch as Michael Siani stole second base in the ninth inning. Siani slid into Albies as the infielder reached for the ball and bent his glove hand back at an awkward angle.

Albies crouched in pain on the field, holding his left wrist, and was replaced at second base by Atlanta teammate Zack Short.

After their 6-2 loss, the Braves announced that X-rays revealed a fracture in his left wrist and that Albies is expected to be sidelined for approximately eight weeks.

The three-time All-Star is hitting .255 with eight home runs and 46 RBIs, almost exclusively from second in the batting order.

It’s another major setback for Atlanta’s roster after reigning NL MVP Ronald Acuña Jr. suffered a knee injury in May that kept him out of the season.

Earlier in the day, the Braves placed All-Star pitcher Max Fried on the 15-day injured list with a forearm neuritis, a measure that is retroactive to Thursday.

The Braves, seeking their seventh consecutive NL East title, are 8 1/2 points behind leader Philadelphia but have the league’s top wild card.