Jorge Soler returns to Braves COVID-19 injured list

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ATLANTA – Having been on the COVID-19 injured list for the deciding National League Division Series game and a majority of the NL Championship Series, Jorge Soler wishes he had been vaccinated.

“I feel very different now,” Soler said with Braves special rep Eddie Perez serving as his interpreter. “I feel bad about this, and I will get the vaccine as soon as possible.”

Because Soler was not vaccinated, he was still undergoing regular testing, even when he had no symptoms. This led to him testing positive on Oct. 12, hours before the Braves played the decisive fourth game of their NLDS against the Brewers.

Soler had to leave the stadium immediately and stay away from the team for at least 10 days. The veteran outfielder remained asymptomatic throughout that streak and was added to Atlanta’s roster on Thursday, when he was cleared by the MLB Joint Committee to return from the COVID-19 injured list.

“I feel really bad not to be with the team,” said Soler. “I really missed not being here.”

Soler was the right fielder and the first hitter for the Braves before that absence. Now, with Eddie Rosario, Joc Pederson and Adam Duvall playing well, there’s no room for Soler.

But if the Braves were to qualify for the World Series, Soler would be a prime candidate to serve as designated hitter in games played in Houston.

The proud father, Braves manager Brian Snitker, watched with glee as the Astros won the American League pennant with a victory over the Red Sox in Game 6 of the ALCS on Friday night. He celebrated via a FaceTime chat with his son, Troy, who is the Houston batting coach.

“It was a great experience for him, and I am happy for him,” said Snitker. “” I said, ‘I hope I can join you’. “

There is no doubt that the world of baseball would appreciate the feel-good story that would develop if the Braves won another game and created the Snitker vs. Snitker World Series game.

Eddie’s Humor For most of the past two decades, Perez has playfully recalled that he was the 1999 MVP of the NLCS. He’s spent the last week telling anyone within earshot that the Braves haven’t returned to the World Series since winning the honor.

“I had to have surgery after the playoffs because I was carrying the whole team,” Perez said with a laugh.

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