The 2024 season has been far from what the Atlanta Braves anticipated. Spencer Strider’s season ended after just two starts due to injury, and Ronald Acuña Jr., the reigning NL MVP, suffered another torn ACL in May. The team’s offense has struggled throughout the lineup, and since May 1, they have played below .500.
Despite these challenges, panic is not the solution. MLB.com’s Mark Bowman drew parallels between this year’s team and the 2004 Braves in his recent newsletter. On June 23, 2004, the Braves were 32-38 and had lost 10 of their last 13 games. Manager Bobby Cox emphasized patience, and that team went on to win 96 games.
Currently, Brian Snitker faces a similar situation. In other Braves news, Michael Harris exited Friday’s win over the Rays early due to a hamstring injury sustained while advancing from first to third on Ozzie Albies’ double. Manager Brian Snitker confirmed that Harris will be placed on the injured list before Saturday’s game.
In brighter news, Austin Riley narrowly missed hitting for the cycle, and Chris Sale delivered another impressive performance as the Braves triumphed 7-3 over the Rays on Friday night.
Part 1 of this week’s mailbag dives into why the Braves plan to be buyers rather than sellers at the trade deadline, dismisses any possibility of trading Max Fried, and explores other topics of interest.
Robert Orr of Baseball Prospectus analyzed the Braves’ struggles against fastballs, while Eno Sarris of The Athletic assessed several young pitchers, highlighting Spencer Schwellenbach’s strengths and concerns regarding Hurston Waldrep.
MLB Pipeline projected Kentucky outfielder Ryan Waldschmidt as the Braves’ pick in their latest mock draft, and FanGraphs released its updated list of the Braves’ top 36 prospects, with AJ Smith-Shawver, Spencer Schwellenbach, and Hurston Waldrep leading the pack.
In MLB news, the Houston Astros released veteran first baseman Jose Abreu, midway through his $58.5 million contract, owing him a significant sum. The Yankees, Dodgers, and Orioles are reportedly interested in Marlins closer Tanner Scott, likely to be a key figure in trade talks nearing the deadline.
Various injuries and roster moves across the league include White Sox right-hander Michael Kopech drawing interest, Cubs’ Ben Brown diagnosed with a neck stress reaction, and left-hander Jordan Wicks facing setback with a right oblique discomfort.
Stay tuned for more developments as the MLB Draft Combine approaches next week and teams make adjustments heading into the midseason.
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