ATLANTA -- Ozzie Albies will spend the next few months recovering from a fractured right elbow, but the Braves are hopeful the highly regarded shortstop will be ready for the start of Spring Training, when he'll have a chance to compete for an Opening Day roster spot.
The Braves announced Friday that Albies suffered a right elbow olecranon fracture when he fouled off a pitch during Double-A Mississippi's Southern League playoff game against Pensacola on Wednesday night. Surgery is tentatively scheduled for Tuesday.
Barring setbacks, Albies could resume baseball activities in January. The long period of inactivity will influence his bid to begin next season as the Braves' starting second baseman.
Albies was in agonizing pain as he hopped out of the batter's box, grabbing his right arm as he slumped over after fouling a pitch down the third-base line in the sixth inning of Mississippi's loss.

The 19-year-old second baseman won the Southern League batting title and combined to bat .292 with a .778 OPS while totaling 618 plate appearances with Mississippi and Triple-A Gwinnett this year. He had been slated to participate in the Arizona Fall League.
MLBPipeline.com ranks Albies as the No. 14 prospect in baseball and the second-best prospect in the Braves' system.