Markakis was a big fan of pitching great Roger Clemens. He began wearing the Rocket's uniform number (21) on his back when he played for Young Harris Junior College in 2002 and 2003. And Nick was able to keep that number when he joined the Baltimore Orioles. At Young Harris, Nick was a star pitcher as well as outfielder and best hitter.

Nick's Mom, Mary Lou Markakis, a banker, says she knew Nick had a special talent for baseball before he was even two years old. She would bring him, then in diapers, out in the backyard with his older brother, Dennis, give them both a bat and pitch beach balls to them. "Dennis would swing and miss, and Nick would swing and hit," she recalled. Within a very few years, Nick would sit and watch baseball on TV for hours.

Nick's mom is a banker, and his father is a car salesman.

Nick was drafted twice by the Cincinnati Reds. In 2001, they drafted him out of high school in the 35th round, but he did not sign. Then in 2002, he was their 23rd round pick. The Reds offered a $1.5 million signing bonus, but Markakis again didn't sign.

In 2003, the Orioles drafted and signed him (signed by scout Dave Jennings) to a $1.85 million contract. Markakis had 18 family members around when he signed. It looked like a Big Fat Greek Signing.

In 2002, Markakis was Baseball America's Junior College Player of the Year after batting .455-17-74 and going 11-3, 4.53 on the mound. In 2003, he went 12-0 with a 1.41 ERA, 148 strikeouts and 27 walks in 90 innings. Baseball America listed him as the 16th best prospect overall and seventh-best pitcher in the 2003 draft.

In 2003, Baseball America again named Nick as their Junior College Player of the Year.

In July 2003, Nick got a leave of absence from the Orioles organization in so he could play for the Greek National Team in the European Championships.

Triple-A Ottawa outfielder Chris Lemonis joined Markakis on the Greek National Team that won a spot in the 2004 Olympics in Athens, Greece. Markakis hit .323-0-7 with four stolen bases in eight games as Greece finished second in that 2003 tourney.

In 2003, for Aberdeen (NYP-Orioles), Nick hit .283-1-28 in 205 at-bats.

In 2003, Baseball America rated Markakis as the third best prospect in the Orioles' organization before 2004 Spring Training. And the magazine ranked him the #1 prospect in the Orioles system before both 2005 Spring Camp and 2006 Spring Training.

In August 2004, he played for the Greek Olympic team, which was assembled with a great deal of assistance from Baltimore owner Peter Angelos. Most Orioles officials regarded the trip as a great opportunity, though they were chagrined when Markakis was also asked to pitch when the Greek staff was hit by injuries. He made two relief appearances in the Olympics (touching 94 mph, it should be noted) and he was one of the event's best hitters, going 9-for-26 (.346) with a home run. 

Markakis has an impressive aptitude for the game. He has instincts and intangibles that are about as good as there are around. He works hard, and goes about his business without trying to stand out in the clubhouse. He is a good teammate and more of a leader by example.

Nick is quiet, keeping to himself a lot. While other players are joking around, Markakis is usually glued to the clubhouse TV monitors, watching video of the pitcher the team will face later that day. He doesn't warm up to people, even teammates, very quickly. He has always been shy and taken longer than other kids to adapt to his surroundings. 

"It takes me a little bit to get comfortable around guys," Markakis acknowledged. "It's kind of like switching schools in the 2nd or 3rd grade. You kind of keep to yourself until you get to know the guys."

In 2007, Markakis's best friends on the Orioles were pitchers Erik Bedard and Adam Loewen. In 2006, Chris Britton and Nick hung out a lot.

Out of uniform, Nick is almost always in sneakers, jeans and a T-shirt that is usually advertising some baseball equipment company.

After the 2005 season, in 26 games in the Arizona Fall League, Markakis finished with a .326 average, one homer, and 12 RBIs. With the help of 11 walks, he ranked seventh in the league with a .421 on-base percentage.

Nick's best friend growing up, Taylor Scott Randahl, died on April 14, 2000. An avid mountain biker, Randahl was riding home when a car going in the opposite direction hit a deer. The deer went across the road and knocked the 16-year-old off his bike. He died about two hours after the accident.

"I never did get to see him again," Markakis said, his quiet voice filled with regret. "I was with him earlier that day, but he was cremated."

He and Randahl first met in 1993, when they were in elementary school. That year, Markakis's family moved from Long Island, New York to Woodstock, Georgia.

"They were best friends since about the day they met," Doug Randahl said. "They were Frick and Frack. They were running in the neighborhood, making forst in the woods. They did what boys do."

Tattooed on his right arm is a cross over the name, Taylor Scott Randahl.

On the day of his best friend's wake, Nick was scheduled to pitch for Woodstock High in the second game of the state playoffs. After attending the wake, Markakis arrived in the second inning with his team down 3-0 to state power Walton High. Markakis entered the game and didn't allow a run. Woodstock lost, but the tribute was complete.

"That is when I knew he had it," his brother Dennis said. "To have something like that happen and to be able to put that out of his mind, I knew there was something there."  (Jeff Zrebiec-Baltimore Sun-June, 2007)

CHRISTINA

Nick and his wife, Christina, were married after the 2008 season. And they celebrated the birth of their first child on March 11, 2009. It was a baby boy, Taylor Jason Markakis. He was named after Markakis's late friend, Taylor Scott Randahl, who died in 2000 in a biking accident. They live in Monkton, in the Baltimore area.

Two other sons, Tucker and Toby came along later.

On May 27, 2010, Nick's wife, Christina, delivered their second son, Tucker Edward. Christina delivered the couple's third child, a son named Toby, on September 11, 2013.

Nick's wife Christina is a graduate of Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton, with a degree in education. She has worked as an elementary school teacher. An excellent athlete, she was a member of the FAU cross-country and track and field teams, earning All-Atlantic Sun Conference honors for indoor track.

Nick and Christina met in 2006 season at a Super Bowl party hosted by Orioles' outfielder Jeff Fiorentino, a mutual friend.

Christina also went to high school in Florida with the wife of Nick's friend and teammate, Brian Roberts.

Nick and Christina are active with the Boys and Girls Club in Cherokee County, Georgia.

Markakis's most impressive non-baseball skill is his ability to balance common household objects on his chin. He can do it with a vacuum cleaner and a shopping cart. Midway through the 2009 season, he was photographed balancing a folding chair.

It is the same thing at home, when Markakis—the Orioles' longest-tenured active player—has two hits and two runs scored in the home opening-win. He follows that with a 4-for-5 night that includes two doubles. It isn't that he's purposely avoiding interviews as much as Markakis simply doesn't want the credit, a fact that extends beyond the baseball field and into the clubhouse, where the players frequent the pool and ping-pong table, both quietly purchased by Markakis.

"He's one of the most giving guys around, but it's not broadcasted," manager Buck Showalter said. "He just doesn't want anyone to know about it. Probably about half the stuff [he does], I don't know about."

"He's just one of those really good ballplayers that not a lot of people know," Orioles closer Jim Johnson said of Markakis. "Other pitchers know who he is, I'll tell you that. They hate facing him. And when you have respect from your peers, I think that's all you can really ask for in this game."

June 5-6, 2013: Nick missed two games to attend his grandmother's funeral. He said he was able to be with her for about an hour before she passed away.

Twice a week, hours before the Orioles have to be at their spring training for team stretch, a bulked up Nick is at Pilates. He started the regimen in 2013 during the baseball season, but he got really intense about it, among other things, over the winter. His focus is on core strength and balance, two key components of an offseason like Markakis has never had before, one that had him pounding the pavement of his driveway for workouts just two weeks after the Orioles' season had ended and weighing in 16 pounds heavier this spring.  

Markakis is confident he has never been this strong, not even close. "I'm at the point in my career where a lot of things don't matter to me right now besides winning," said Markakis. In the 2013 off season, the emphasis was on adding strength and speed, with Olympic lifts and a lot of the same programming Markakis adopted under vice president of baseball operations Brady Anderson's fitness overhaul. Athletic trainers Joe Hogarty and Ryan Crotin would come for the workout sessions at Markakis' Monkton, Md., home, with the group switching to Camden Yards later in the winter as more of the players started to filter in.  There were no breaks, even for the holidays. When teammate Ryan Flaherty, who is dating Markakis' sister-in-law came to North Carolina for the family Thanksgiving, the pair were in the gym for "hours," said Christina Markakis. "And they didn't miss a day."

Markakis enlisted the team's chef, Jenny Spiliadis, to help him eat clean, and she dropped off food twice a week. It wasn't about hitting a specific number on the scale but adding "good weight" to put him back where he needed to be strength-wise. "Obviously he's put on some muscle," said Flaherty.   

Manager Buck Showalter said, "This is the first time he's really been able to do these things physically. Nick's a guy that's so easy to trust. He's a good father, a good husband, a good teammate. He's a guy who is not going to embarrass you off the field, but he doesn't take himself too seriously. He's a guy that's real easy to pull for."  (Ghiroli - mlb.com 2/03/2014)

This year, 2014, like every other year, Markakis will collect his pink bats and send them home ticketed for his mother, Mary Lou.  Mary Lou is a breast cancer survivor, having beat the disease while Nick was in college, and MLB's awareness—which always coincides with Mother's Day—provides an opportunity for the prevention and treatment to take center stage.

"I try to do as much as I can for her, because I know how much it means to her," Markakis said. "It's completely different; I can sit here and say it's a good cause and not know anything about it. But when you see somebody go through it. I used to drive my mom to her chemo treatments. And on the way home, you see what it takes out of them. You get a whole different perspective on it."

In 2013, Markakis decided not to use his specially made MaxBat black bat with a pink label on Mother's Day, donning pink cleats, wristbands, and batting gloves instead. He used his regular MaxBat, with an orange label, to avoid what likely would have been a fine in a mini-controversy in which Minnesota's Trevor Plouffe—whose mother is also a breast cancer survivor—went ahead and used his pink labeled bat.

The issue was that Louisville Slugger produces the special pink bats for MLB so other companies' pink bats can only be used if there's no visible logos or other markings. Markakis is hoping this year to be able to use the bat he gives to Mary Lou after Mother's Day, although his efforts in raising cancer funds far exceed the holiday.

Major League Baseball, which supports the Stand Up To Cancer (SU2C) initiative in the winter, started the tradition in 2006 of using pink gear on Mother's Day, and some of the bats will be auctioned off afterwards to raise even more money for the cause.

"These types of things in general are good, but in my case, a little more meaningful to me because of what I've seen my mom go through. And what it does to a person, what it takes out of them." (Ghiroli - mlb.com 5/9/2014)

As he was progressing through his high school years in suburban Atlanta, Nick passed on the regular playing time he would have received with one travel team in order to take advantage of the chance to serve as a young backup for a more experienced team filled with players who would help him learn how to play the game the right way.

Though he has never been an All-Star or MVP Award candidate, Markakis has stood as a highly respected and disciplined leader who has overcome the inevitable adversity experienced within a long baseball career. The reward for the Braves right fielder's perseverance comes in the form of the satisfaction he, his teammates, and family members felt when he notched his 2,000th career hit during a 7-4 loss to the Dodgers at SunTrust Park.

"You're just happy to get it out of the way," Markakis said. "Sometimes those things can linger around. It was nice to get it here in front of my family and at the home field. It was definitely nice to get it out of the way."

With the opposite-field, fourth-inning single he slapped to left field against Alex Wood, Markakis became just the 10th active player to reach the 2,000-hit milestone. He was able to share the moment with his parents, who attend nearly every home game, his wife, Christina, and their three sons—Taylor, Tucker, and Toby.

Christina surprised her husband when she and her sons traveled from their Baltimore home to be present for this week's games. As the three boys sat in the stands, they created a sign to count down to the milestone hit.

"I didn't know they were doing it, so when I looked up there it was pretty cool," Markakis said. "That's ultimately why I'm here. I'm here for them."  (Bowman - mlb.com - 8/3/2017)

July 2018: Markakis was selected to play in the MLB All-Star game.

In 2018, the Braves had a strong first few months of the season and are right in the thick of things in the National League postseason picture.

As a result, four Braves will be in D.C. for All-Star Week 2018. And thanks to one of them, they'll be sporting some extremely choice footwear. Mike Foltynewicz, you see, designed some custom socks for his fellow Atlanta All-Stars to wear, and they were shown off during the broadcast of July 15th's 5-1 win over the D-backs.

Nick's feature his three sons, Taylor, Tucker and Toby. Freddie Freeman has socks emblazoned with the smiling faces of his wife, Chelsea, and son, Charlie.  And while Ozzie Albies doesn't have a wife and kids just yet, his socks feature the face of his pal and teammate, Ronald Acuna Jr. (Garro - mlb.com - 7/15/2018)

August 24, 2018:  For most big leaguers, Players' Weekend is an opportunity to don a silly nickname, spice up their uniform and have some fun. For Nick Markakis, however, this weekend is the perfect chance to honor the most important people in his life: his family. Markakis, who will sport "TTT" on the back of his jersey against the Marlins, is bringing his three sons out on the field with him.

"Taylor, Tucker and Toby, those are my three boys," Markakis said. "[My teammates] call me 'Cakes,' but I think it's more important to have my kids on there." Although Markakis had a creative nickname ready to go, the 13-year veteran said placing his three sons' first initials on his jersey this weekend was a no-brainer. Further, "family" is written in black ink on a patch on the right sleeve of his jersey. It sits right below "thank you." "It's all about family. Family is first and foremost, and everything else falls into place after that," Markakis said. 

Markakis isn't alone. Several players around the league are proudly representing their families in the form of their Players' Weekend jerseys. Freddie Freeman, just one locker to Markakis' right in the Marlins' visitor's clubhouse, is wearing a jersey that reads "Andrew," which honors his brother.

"For all of us, our most important possession is our family," Braves skipper Brian Snitker explained. "For those guys that are fathers and can acknowledge their parents or a special coach or somebody like that that is big in their life, it means a lot to them." To Snitker, the impact of family for a ballplayer is massive, and it even pays dividends on the field. Snitker would know—after all, he's been around the game of baseball longer than some of his players have even been alive.

"I told Freddie that when he had his child, I said, 'You're going to love playing baseball so much more now.' That gives him a great perspective," Snitker said. "You have somebody else now that's really important in your life, and it's the greatest thing in the world to start a family. They don't care if you give up runs or didn't get any hits when you get home—they're just glad to see you. It's good for these guys when that happens."

Markakis did more than just honor his kids on his jersey. His boys were in the clubhouse, hanging out with the team and, best of all, spending time with their dad. "They like coming to the field, they like being around the guys," Markakis said. "Had to get them in here at least one day, and it was a boys' night in the hotel. They came home with me and gave their mom a break. It was a good day." (M Goodman - MLB.com - August 24, 2018)

January 22, 2019: As Braves GM Alex Anthopoulos maintained regular contact with Nick Markakis over the past couple months, he knew the veteran outfielder's preference was to continue playing for Atlanta. But a reunion was not consummated until Markakis' price dropped to a point that allowed Anthopoulos to maintain the financial flexibility necessary to potentially upgrade his rotation or bullpen. "Nick clearly wanted to be back," Anthopoulos said. "He made that evident throughout this process."

Markakis spent his high school years in the Atlanta area, played his college ball at north Georgia's Young Harris College, and spent the past four years guiding the Braves through a rebuild and toward a 2018 division title. His parents attend most every home game, and most importantly his three sons have developed a love for the Braves. "The tipping point was my kids," Markakis said. "I asked them where they wanted me to play, and they all said, 'Braves.' How could I say no to that, especially with the organization and the group of guys that are here? I'm extremely happy with my decision."

With Markakis back, Braves manager Brian Snitker is now leaning toward moving Ronald Acuna Jr. out of the leadoff spot to fill the void in the cleanup spot. This sets up the possibility that Atlanta's first five hitters would be Ender Inciarte, Josh Donaldson, Freddie Freeman, Acuna and Markakis. As the Braves pursued and evaluated other available outfielders, it was assumed their fallback option would be Markakis. But the eventual cost proved to be far less than expected. The 35-year-old outfielder drew an $11 million salary from Atlanta each of the past four seasons. "I'm not mad at all [about the pay cut]," Markakis said. "I play a kids' game and get paid a lot of money. How can I be disappointed in that?" 

In 2018, Markakis earned his first career All-Star selection and won a Silver Slugger after hitting .297 with 14 homers and an .806 OPS last year. He also won another Gold Glove. Anthopoulos said Markakis declined more lucrative offers elsewhere while maintaining the hope he'd eventually strike a deal with the Braves.

While the two parties maintained regular contact over the past couple months, the Braves were not willing to sign Markakis until he agreed to account for just $4 million of this year's payroll. This deal, which draws comparisons to the $2 million contract Brian McCann signed in October, allows Atlanta to remain somewhat aggressive in its pursuit to improve the pitching staff and possibly add a bench player. "This deal needed to come in at the right price for us," Anthopoulos said.

Other than saying there will be an increase, Anthopoulos has never provided a projected payroll for the 2019 season. But it appears he has the option to spend at least $15 million this offseason and still have some remaining funds that could be used for in-season moves next summer.

As the Braves evaluated whether to re-sign Markakis, they accounted for him producing an average exit velocity of 90 mph and average launch angle of 9.3 degrees over those final 47 games. During his first 115 games, his average exit velocity was 90.8 mph and 10.4 degrees. The launch angle difference accounted for a higher percentage of ground balls and seemingly supported the thought he might have tired down the stretch.

Markakis acknowledges his desire to play in every game may have hurt him. He plans to take some days off this year and do whatever he can to push the Braves even further past where they were when he arrived four years ago, at the start of a massive rebuild.

"You always hope there is a chance [to return]," Markakis said. "You can't predict the future. Anything can happen in this business and in this game. I'm happy with the way this turned out." (M Bowman - MLB.com - January 22, 2019)

July 16, 2019: Markakis received the MLB Players Alumni Association "Heart and Hustle" award for the Braves. This esteemed award honors active players who demonstrate a passion for the game of baseball and best embody the values, spirit and traditions of the game. The Heart and Hustle Award is also the only award in Major League Baseball that is voted on by former players.

July 6, 2020: Markakis elected not to play in the 2020 MLB season.

July 29, 2020: Markakis changed his mind. The veteran outfielder has decided to rejoin the Braves for the remainder of the season

.“Sometimes, we all make rash decisions that are not thought out thoroughly,” Markakis said.

Markakis surprised many on July 6, when he announced he had elected not to play this year. 

Aug 4, 2020:  Veteran outfielder Nick Markakis was reinstated from the restricted list, which he was placed on after temporarily electing not to play this year.

TRANSACTIONS 

January 19, 2009: Markakis and the Orioles agreed to a six-year, $66 million contract. It includes standard incentive clauses, a limited no-trade clause—in which he can block a deal to at least eight teams each year—a slew of incentives, and a mutual option of $17.5 million for 2015, plus an unspecified team buyout for the 2015 season.

October 31, 2014: Markakis became a free agent when the Orioles declined to pick up their $17.5 million option for 2015, paying the $2 million buyout instead.

December 3, 2015: Nick signed a four-year deal for $44 million with the Braves. He also received $2 million as part of the contract. Markakis has annual salaries of $10.5 million, plus incentives. 

October 29, 2018: Nick chose free agency.

January 22, 2019: The Braves signed free agent Markakis. He agreed to a one-year, $6 million deal. The contract includes a $4 million guarantee for 2019 and a $6 million option for 2020.

Markakis starts from a slightly open stance with his hands high. He has a smooth, short, quick lefthanded stroke—a great swing. He gets good leverage at the plate and will hit with above average power as he fills out his lanky, athletic frame. Nick has that good baseball body—lean, lanky, and strong.

The strong hands he has and quick wrists make him a pure hitter, and the natural snap in his bat gives him good power that is increasing as he matures. He is adept at hitting the ball the other way.

Nick has exceptional strike zone knowledge. He has the best sense of the strike zone on the Orioles. He is good at working into hitters' counts, showing very good selectivity. And he is learning to keep his body back so it stays out of the way of his beautiful swing. He is quiet at the plate with that superb, smooth swing. He stays back to see the ball a long time, waiting and reading the pitch, and making adjustments.

At least one American League scout has compared Nick to former all-star Andy Van Slyke.

The ball makes a different sound off Nick's bat. And the ball jumps off his bat and goes all over the yard. He is not pull-conscious. And, he doesn't slap the ball the other way just to get a hit. He just takes what the pitcher give him and nails it. He centers the ball on the bat.

Markakis has learned to turn on his backside instead of sliding his lower half as he swings, improving his balance. He has outstanding bat control within the strike zone.

During the 2009 season, Hall of Famer and Orioles broadcaster Jim Palmer said, "I was talking to one of the scouts and he said, 'Markakis reminds me of a lefthanded Al Kaline, because he does everything well, but he doesn't do it very flashy. That's a pretty good comparison. But he reminds me more of George Brett because he's so good at hitting the ball to left, center, and right. He really can hit the ball where it's pitched."

In 2010, Markakis joined Hall of Famers Joe Medwick (1935-39) and Tris Speaker (1920-1923) in posting four consecutive seasons with 43-plus doubles.

Nick's swing is so flat, and it's just a simple flat through the zone, he doesn't have to do a lot to get to the ball. The thing that he really does well is a ball that's away, he's going to shoot that ball past the third baseman, and you just can't teach that. But he is a rare natural hitter.

Nick drops the bat on his shoe after every pitch.

May 5, 2017: Markakis joined an exclusive club when the Braves right fielder collected his 400th career double, becoming the eighth active player to reach that standard. (David O'Brien -The Atlanta Journal-Constitution) 

August 3, 2017: Markakis  reached 2,000 career hits with a 4th inning single off of Dodgers LHP Alex Wood. 

In 2018, Markakis won his first Silver Slugger Award.

May 1, 2020: Who has the best eye on the Braves? Nick Markakis:

In 2019, Ronald Acuña Jr. had a team-best take percentage (73.3) against pitches thrown outside the strike zone, while Freddie Freeman had the highest swing percentage (82.6) for pitches thrown inside the zone, per FanGraphs. Markakis’ out-of-zone take percentage (72.6) was just slightly lower than Acuña’s, but his in-zone take percentage (38.4) was much higher than those produced by Freeman (17.4) and Acuña (28.5).

The fact that Freeman swings at a little more than eight of every 10 strikes he sees is not surprising considering his reputation as one of the game’s most aggressive hitters. Acuña’s numbers are encouraging because they show he already has a good sense of the strike zone and some of his in-zone takes might be a product of beneficial selectivity. But the young outfielder’s strikeout rate (26.3) indicates he has room to improve. For now, the best eye still belongs to Markakis, who struck out in just 12.6 percent of his plate appearances while manufacturing a team-best 88.8 percent contact rate last season. -- Mark Bowman

While Nick's arm strength is undeniable, his hands and athletic body give him a higher ceiling as an outfielder, rather than a pitcher. His athleticism and instincts allow him to play center field, but his arm also makes him perfectly suited for right field—his best position. In 2006, the Orioles played him in all three outfield positions—putting him in left for one of the first times in his career.

Markakis displays good instincts in the outfield. He gets a real good jump on the ball.

In 2008, Nick led American League outfielders with 17 assists. Many think he should've won a Gold Glove, but he didn't.

GOLD GLOVER

In 2011, Markakis won his first Rawlings Gold Glove.

In 2014, Nick won his second Gold Glove award as the best right fielder in the AL.

In 2018,  the 34-year-old Markakis won his third career Gold Glove Award. 

June 18, 2015: Markakis set the Major League Baseball all-time record for consecutive errorless games by an outfielder. In Atlanta's 5-2 loss to the Red Sox, the right fielder completed his 393rd game without being charged with an error, breaking Darren Lewis' record, set from 1990 to 1994.

Markakis' last error came on August 10, 2012, when he was with the Orioles. A seemingly inconsequential error at the time (Baltimore beat Kansas City 7-1 that day), Markakis has now seen 1,042 days (and counting) without causing a miscue.

Markakis was an AL Gold Glove winner in 2011 and 2014. And from 2012 until 2015, he was tied for first with Michael Brantley for the best fielding percentage among qualified outfielders.

While in his 10th year in the bigs, Markakis set the record a bit differently than Lewis, who went the first 392 games of his Major League career with the Athletics and Giants before being charged with an error on July 9, 1994. Lewis won the NL Gold Glove award in 1994 and finished his career with a .994 fielding percentage. Markakis' career fielding percentage up to this point in his career? Yep, .994. (Collazo – mlb.com – 6/18/2015)

June 25, 2015: Marakis finally committed an error in a game vs. the Nats. He his record streak ended after 398 consecutive errorless games. Denard Span singled to right and Nick bobbled the ball, allowing Span to take second base.

June 1-July 9, 2012: Markakis underwent surgery to repair a fractured hamate bone in his right wrist,  by Dr. Brian Schofield, a hand specialist. The injury was believed over a week before when Nick slid into a base. He then aggravated it during his final at-bat on May 29.

It was the first trip to the D.L. for Markakis in his career.

September 8, 2012: Nick suffered a broken left thumb that sidelined him for four to six weeks. He got nailed by an inside pitch from C.C. Sabathia.

"I knew it was broken," said Markakis. "I knew it as soon as he hit me. I knew how it hit me, and I couldn't bend my thumb."

Trainer Richie Bancells and Showalter came out to check on Markakis right away, but the right fielder left the game. He had surgery September 11. It was  performed by Dr. Brian Schofield, the same person who handled the operation on his wrist back in June. It involved putting a T-plate on top of the thumb, screwing it down and waiting for everything to heal.

Nick had the pins removed on October 9, and had his thumb put in a splint for another two weeks.

March 6, 2013: Markakis was sidelined for about three weeks with a small herniated disk, according to an MRI. In order to let the inflammation and pain subside, rest and medication were prescribed.

September 2014: Nick missed six games after his right shoulder was bruised when he was hit by a pitch from Aaron Loup of the Blue Jays.

December 17, 2014: Markakis underwent fusion surgery to repair a herniated disk in his neck. The Braves expect Nick to begin baseball-related activities before the start of Spring Training.

July 26, 2019: Markakis exited shortly after being hit on the left wrist by a 91 mph fastball from lefthander Cole Irvin in the sixth inning.

"It doesn’t look good. We’re going to get him looked at tomorrow. We’re not real optimistic," Snitker said. "Until they get the [X-rays] and all that stuff, we’re not going to know. 

July 27-September 13, 2019: Nick was on the IL with fractured left wrist. 

August 9, 2019: Markakis, who was sporting a camo cast to protect his broken left wrist. The timetable calls for six to eight weeks.

"The goal would be awesome to be mid-September," said Markakis.

September 10, 2019: Nick is expected to take live batting practice in Philadelphia and could return against the Nationals, according to Atlanta manager Brian Snitker.

"We’re going to bring a pitcher in to throw to him, where he’ll face some velocity," Snitker said. "I don’t know if you call it a sim game or live batting practice—it’s just more facing a real pitcher and getting some live at-bats."

Markakis was given an initial timetable of six to eight weeks after fracturing his left wrist when he was hit by a 91 mph fastball on July 26 during Atlanta's last trip to Philadelphia. September 12, 2019 will mark exactly seven weeks since he sustained the injury.