Eddie Rosario has gone from being one of the Atlanta Braves‘ heroes in 2021 to be a major disappointment in 2022. He had been a key part of the Braves revamped outfield, one of the acquisitions that helped propel the franchise to their first championship since 1995. However, this season, he has been a disaster.
The Braves now have an answer as to why that is the case. Rosario saw a retinal specialist on Monday in regards to blurred vision and swelling in his right eye. In the coming days, he will have a laser procedure to attempt to fix those problems.
Atlanta Braves have reason for Eddie Rosario’s struggles at the plate
It was clear that something was wrong with Rosario. He had just three hits in 49 plate appearances, with a double as his only extra base knock. While he had drawn five walks and struck out only ten times, he was not close to being the same player he had been during his time in Atlanta last season.
Rosario was an unexpected boost to the lineup last year. Acquired for the bloated corpse of Pablo Sandoval in a clear salary dump by Cleveland, he responded with one of the better stretches of his career. He produced a .271/.330/.573 batting line in his 106 plate appearances, hitting seven homers and four doubles. Rosario was the 2021 NLCS MVP, with 14 hits, including three homers in 28 plate appearances.
That performance was enough for the Braves to hand Rosario a two year deal worth $18 million, along with a team option for 2024. They had to expect far more this season as well, especially after his impressive showing last year. Even if he returned to his career norms, providing solid power and speed with an above average bat, he would have been well worth that contract.
It is entirely possible that will happen. That procedure should alleviate those problems, allowing him to see the ball properly and get his bat back on track once more. And now that there is an answer, the Braves and Rosario can finally get these issues fixed.
The Atlanta Braves now know why Eddie Rosario has struggled so much this year. He will be having a procedure on his right eye soon.