Atlanta Braves outfielder Jorge Soler will be suiting up for NLCS Game 5 after official removal from the COVID-19 Related Injured List.
Through their three wins in a competitive Championship Series, the Atlanta Braves have been doing it all without outfielder and leadoff hitter Jorge Soler.
But Soler, who tested positive for COVID-19 and was left off the NLCS roster at the start, has just been cleared to play in Game 5. Soler will be replacing outfielder Cristian Pache.
Soler was taken out of the NLDS roster in Game 4 due to the positive COVID-19 diagnosis on Oct. 12. Soler, who played in the NLDS as the leadoff hitter, was replaced by Dansby Swanson for the rest of the Divisional Series. Guillermo Heredia moved into the lineup to take Soler’s center field position, and Cristian Pache took Soler’s slot on the 26-man roster.
Jorge Soler set to return from COVID-19 list in NLCS Game 5
On Twitter, Braves fans celebrated the return of the star outfielder by referencing Soler’s popular catchphrase, “Soler Power.”
Soler, a Cuban native who has played in the MLB since 2014, played for the Kansas City Royals until the Braves traded for him at the trade deadline on July 30.
The powerful hitter belted out 48 homers for the Royals in 2019, which is part of what made him such a commodity entering the playoff series. Still, the Braves have soldiered on without him, leading by seven runs in their 9-2 victory over the Dodgers in Game 4.
After ten days of rest and recovery, Braves fans can hope that Game 5 is a Soler-powered win that clinches the Series for the Braves.