Atlanta Braves outfielder Michael Harris II (knee) launched his first home run of the year in Wednesday's win, but he suffered an injury scare that forced him from the game early. The 22-year-old jammed his knee while hustling to first base to try and beat out a grounder, but he walked off the field without needing assistance. The Braves have announced his removal was precautionary, so fantasy managers can breathe a sigh of relief. Fantasy managers have also been waiting for the reigning National League Rookie of the Year to take off in 2023. Perhaps the home run will jump-start his campaign and help him work his way up the Atlanta batting order.

Atlanta Braves outfielder Michael Harris II is starting in center field and is hitting eighth in the lineup for Game 1 of Monday's doubleheader against the New York Mets and right-hander Denyi Reyes. Harris returned from the injured list last Friday and went 0-for-2 with a run scored. Last year's National League Rookie of the Year missed several weeks with a lower-back injury and is hitting just .200 (5-for-25) with a double, RBI, two stolen bases and four runs scored in his first eight games of 2023. It's still early, but the Braves are easing Harris back into the fold near the bottom of their lineup. As such, DFS gamers may want to look elsewhere until Harris gets going again and moves up the batting order.

Atlanta Braves outfielder Michael Harris II is starting in center field and is hitting ninth in his first game back from the injured list on Friday against the New York Mets and left-hander David Peterson. The Braves are easing Harris back into the fold against a left-handed hurler after he suffered a lower-back injury early in April. The 2022 National League Rookie of the Year was hitting just .217 (5-for-23) with a double, an RBI and two stolen bases in seven games before his injury. It's still early for Harris in 2023, but fantasy gamers in DFS should look to avoid him out of the nine-hole in his first game back off the injured list.

The Atlanta Braves reinstated outfielder Michael Harris II (back) from the 10-day injured list on Friday. The Braves also reinstated outfielder Eli White from the paternity list and optioned him to Triple-A Gwinnett, while outfielder Nick Solak was optioned to Gwinnett after Thursday's game. Harris should be back in Atlanta's starting lineup on Friday against the New York Mets and left-hander David Peterson, so fantasy managers will want to get him back into their lineups. The 22-year-old National League Rookie of the Year in 2022 has been out since early April with a lower-back strain. Before his back injury, Harris had gone 5-for-23 (.217) with a double, RBI, two stolen bases and three runs scored in seven games played. His return is bad news for Sam Hilliard.

Atlanta Braves outfielder Michael Harris II (back) will begin a minor-league rehab assignment with Triple-A Gwinnett on Wednesday, April 26, the team announced on Tuesday. Harris has been on the 10-day injured list since April 7 with lower-back soreness, but if he looks good in rehab games this week, it's possible he'll be back in the Braves starting lineup by this weekend. He won the National League Rookies of the Year in 2022 by hitting .297 with 19 home runs, 64 RBI, 20 stolen bases and an .853 OPS in 114 games. When healthy, the 22-year-old will be a lineup regular for Atlanta, and he should be rostered in all fantasy formats. Before landing on the IL, Harris was 5-for-23 (.217) with a double, RBI, two stolen bases and three runs scored in seven games.

Atlanta Braves outfielder Michael Harris II (back) is ready to begin a rehab assignment and could return for the Braves' weekend series with the Mets or sooner, per MLB.com's Mark Bowman. The 22-year-old, who has been dealing with a lower back strain since early April, has been taking part in batting practice since last Saturday. Despite his slow start with a .217/.280/.261 slash line, fantasy managers will be happy to have him back in their lineups as soon as possible.

According to Justin Toscano of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Atlanta Braves outfielder Michael Harris II (back) took part in batting practice prior to Saturday's meeting with Houston. This is a step in the right direction, especially since he's been on the shelf since the beginning of April because of a lower back strain. If everything goes smoothly, the 22-year-old will likely start his rehab assignment relatively soon, so fantasy managers are almost out of the woods. In the meantime, Eli White and Sam Hilliard should get turns in the starting lineup.

The 2023 MLB season is underway and as always, injuries are beginning to pile up. Today we'll look at injured hitters including Yordan Alvarez, Michael Harris II, Amed Rosario, Jose Siri and Josh Donaldson. Baseball season is a marathon and not a race, so finding replacements for players out of action is key for fantasy baseball success.For those not yet familiar, this is our weekly edition of fantasy baseball injury updates for hitters as of April 19, 2023. We'll be covering all positions throughout the week, so stay tuned. Some players on this list impact fantasy baseball more than others, but with leagues of all shapes and sizes, you never know which guys will force fantasy managers to search waiver wires in hopes of finding adequate replacements.To keep close tabs on all of the news across the MLB, make sure to favorite or bookmark the fantasy baseball player news page, and download the free ... [More]

Atlanta Braves outfielder Michael Harris II (back) said last Saturday that he'd probably begin taking batting practice in the coming days, but it doesn't appear that he's been cleared for that step yet as he rehabs a back injury. "Same place he's been," manager Brian Snitker said. "Just rehabbing. It's not there yet." The 22-year-old second-year player landed on the injured list in early April with a lower back strain and still isn't quite ready to return for the Braves. As soon as he's able to take batting practice, a minor-league rehab assignment shouldn't be far off. Fantasy managers should continue to stash last year's National League Rookie of the Year. Until he returns, Sam Hilliard should continue to see more playing time in the outfield.

Atlanta Braves outfielder Michael Harris II (back) is expected to be cleared for batting practice on Monday or Tuesday. That is the last step before Harris is able to get back in the starting lineup. The 22-year-old has only played in seven games this season as he continues to deal with a lingering back issue. Luckily, it sounds like Harris is making good progress in his recovery. Possibly, Harris is back in the lineup by the end of the week, but the team should give an update on his status soon.

Atlanta Braves outfielder Michael Harris II (back) won't make his return from the injured list on Monday. The organization was hopeful that Harris would be activated on Monday, which is the first day he's eligible to return from the injured list. Manager Brian Snitker confirmed on Saturday that it won't be happening. Harris hasn't even been cleared to take batting practice yet. The Braves should give a better timetable once Harris is able to start swinging a bat again.

Atlanta Braves outfielder Michael Harris II (back) is feeling better following continued treatment on his back and is expecting to return when he is eligible to be activated from the injured list on April 17. However, the team hasn't given Harris the green light to start swinging at full strength during batting practice yet. While the 22-year-old could be back with the Braves in a few days, don't be surprised if he's eased back into starting duties in the outfield for Atlanta. Sam Hilliard has seen more playing time with Harris out, but he'll head back to the bench when Harris is ready to return. Last year's National League Rookie of the Year had five hits in 23 at-bats (.217 average) with a double, RBI and two stolen bases before he landed on the injured list.

The Atlanta Braves placed outfielder Michael Harris II (back) on the 10-day injured list on Friday with a lower back strain and recalled outfielder Eli White from the minors in a corresponding move. Harris hurt his back on Thursday in the team's home opener when he crashed into the outfield wall, and the Braves were initially listing him as day-to-day. The injury for the 22-year-old doesn't seem very serious, so it wouldn't be a surprise to see him back when he's eligible to return after 10 days. The 2022 National League Rookie of the Year has gotten off to a slow start through seven games, hitting .217 (5-for-23) with a double, RBI and two stolen bases. With Harris out, Sam Hilliard is starting in center field and is hitting ninth for Atlanta on Friday against the San Diego Padres and right-hander Nick Martinez.

Atlanta Braves manager Brian Snitker has said that outfielder Michael Harris II (back) is day-to-day after he hurt his back during a play at the wall in Thursday's contest, according to David O'Brien of The Athletic. It's positive news for the 22-year-old and fantasy managers, as he'll likely avoid an injured list stint, but there's no word on how long he'll have to sit out. Harris II came out of nowhere during his rookie season in 2022, slashing .297/.339/.514 with 19 home runs, 20 stolen bases, 75 runs, and 64 RBI in 114 games. It'll be hard to repeat those numbers, and so far, he's hitting just .217 with no homers and two steals, but he definitely has the skill set to continue to be a power and speed threat going forward.

Atlanta Braves outfielder Michael Harris II was removed from Thursday's game against the San Diego Padres after experiencing lower back tightness, according to Justin Toscano. It's reportedly just a precaution, but more news should come out after the game. Harris II is struggling thus far through seven games, batting .217 with no homers and two stolen bases. It's coming after the sophomore slashed .297/.339/.514 with 19 HRs, 75 runs, 64 RBI, and 20 steals over 114 games and winning Rookie of the Year last year. Harris II has the talent to back up his amazing 2022 and is a fantastic source of power and speed if he stays on the field.

Atlanta Braves outfielder Michael Harris II (back) has returned to the team's Grapefruit League lineup on Saturday against right-hander Bailey Ober and the Minnesota Twins. Harris is starting in center field and batting fifth in the order. The 22-year-old was scratched from the lineup on Friday with back tightness, but it was nothing serious and he'll return to the field a day later. After a fantastic rookie season in 2022 for Atlanta, he has gone 9-for-38 (.237) with a double, triple, two home runs, four RBI, four runs scored and two stolen bases in 14 Grapefruit League contests. Last year's National League Rookie of the Year struck out 24.3% of the time, but he also squared the ball up regularly when he did make contact. There could be some growing pains for Harris in 2023, so don't overpay drastically, but this is a player with high-end upside in all categories.

Atlanta Braves outfielder Michael Harris II is hitting .286 with a .375 OBP through 28 spring at-bats. The defending NL Rookie of the Year looks ready for the season and to improve on last year. He has two home runs and one stolen base this spring. He was a solid contributor across the board last season, hitting .297 with 19 homers, 20 steals, 64 RBI, and 75 runs scored in 414 at-bats. He should exceed those numbers after playing in 114 games in the majors last season. He's currently RotoBaller's 30th-ranked player but has an ADP of 42, so he should land in an excellent spot for one of your top outfield options.

Atlanta Braves outfielder Michael Harris II won the 2022 Jackie Robinson National League Rookie of the Year award on Monday. Harris won the award over teammate Spencer Strider and Cardinals infielder Brendan Donovan. The 21-year-old becomes the ninth player in Atlanta history to win the award and the first since Ronald Acuna Jr. won it in 2018. He opened the 2022 season as the club's top prospect and didn't make his MLB debut until May 28. Harris led all NL rookies with a 5.3 bWAR and finished his first season with 19 home runs and 20 stolen bases. Not only was he good with the bat, but Harris also finished tied for fourth among all center fielders with eight defensive runs saved despite missing the first two months. The former third-rounder in 2019 played in only one full season for High-A Rome before debuting in the big leagues in 2022.

The Atlanta Braves and rookie outfielder Michael Harris II completed an eight-year, $72 million contract extension Tuesday, per the team's Twitter account. The extension seems well-deserved, as the 21-year-old has slashed .287/.325/.500 with 12 home runs, 39 RBI and 13 stolen bases in 268 plate appearances in his first big-league season. The extension shows the confidence the Braves have in Harris, and fantasy managers should show the same confidence in him for the rest of this season.

The Atlanta Braves and rookie outfielder Michael Harris II are closing in on an eight-year contract extension that is expected to be worth around $72 million. It's a team-friendly deal that would give Harris some security early in his career. The 21-year-old has been excellent for the Braves in his first 70 major league games in 2022, hitting .292/.330/.508 with an .838 OPS, 12 home runs, 39 RBI, 46 runs scored and 13 stolen bases in 264 plate appearances. He hasn't really had a tough time at the plate in the majors despite coming up from Double-A Mississippi and skipping Triple-A altogether. The former third-round pick should now be rostered in all fantasy leagues now that he's earned an everyday role in Atlanta.