Braves 2B Ozzie Albies activated from injured list ahead of…..

ATLANTA (AP) – Second baseman Ozzie Albies was activated Friday by the Atlanta Braves ahead of a weekend series against the Cleveland Guardians, matching the teams with the two best records in the major leagues.

Albies returned from the 10-day injured list on schedule after going down with a fractured right big toe.

He was hit on his foot by a curveball from Houston rookie Spencer Arrighetti in an Atlanta victory April 15. Albies remained in the game, not realizing he was injured until he took off his shoe.

Luis Guillorme and David Fletcher shared playing time at second base while Albies was out. The Braves went 7-1 during that time to improve to 17-6, the top mark in baseball.

Still, the team was eager for the return of Albies, a 27-year-old, three-time All-Star who was hitting .317 with two home runs and 14 RBIs.

Fletcher was outrighted to Triple-A Gwinnett.

Dusty Baker was honored for his entire life in baseball, claiming an award that only three others have won so far.

Former Houston Astros manager Dusty Baker was recently named the fourth winner of the Baseball Digest Lifetime Achievement Award, honoring his entire career in baseball, dating back to his time as a player alongside the legendary Hank Aaron in Atlanta.

Baker is now a special assistant to the San Francisco Giants, where he got his start as a manager in the 1990s. He retired from managing after last season.

He joins Willie Mays, Vin Scully and Joe Torre as recipients of the award. Mays is also a Giants special assistant.

Baker is one of a handful of managers with more than 2,000 career wins. He finished his career as 2,183-1,862. He’s also one of a few managers that have World Series rings as players and managers.

He led the Astros from 2020-23 and led them to a World Series title in 2022, another World Series appearance in 2021, four straight trips to the American League Championship Series and three AL West titles.

Baker is the quintessential baseball lifer, as he made his Major League debut as a 19-year-old pinch-hitter with the Atlanta Braves in 1969. While with the Braves he saw Aaron break Babe Ruth’s home run record.

But with the Los Angeles Dodgers he achieved his greatest acclaim as a player, winning a World Series ring in 1981. He was also a two-time All-Star, the 1977 NLCS MVP, a Gold Glove winner and a two-time Silver Slugger winner.

After a stint with the Giants as a coach under Roger Craig, he took over as manager in 1993 and spent a decade leading the Giants to two NL West titles, three playoff berths and the 2002 World Series, where the Giants lost to the Los Angeles Angels.

Baker finished with an 840-715 record with the Giants.

After leaving the Giants, he went immediately to the same job with the Chicago Cubs and led them from 2003-06. Following that, he managed the Cincinnati Reds (2008-13) and the Washington Nationals (2016-17) before taking over in Houston.