Atlanta Braves news and notes from Saturday
Well we’re fully into the summer now. On the bright side, the Braves have their stars back and Ronald Acuna looks every bit of himself, at least at the plate and with his arm in the outfield. Matt Olson is playing well and Austin Riley has shown signs of turning the corner in the last few games, which is desperately needed. On the downside, the Braves are 3 games below .500, 8.5 games behind both the Phillies AND Mets, and 5.5 games out of the final wild-card spot. They have also lost Reynaldo Lopez for at least most of the year and now AJ Smith-Shawver for the year and more with likely Tommy John surgery. The Braves still have time and talent to make the playoffs and make a run, but they are well behind the mark at the moment and the offense has to start producing at a high level instead of the slightly below average level it has shown so far this season.
Braves News
We took a look at some of why Drake Baldwin is so effective at the plate in his rookie year for Atlanta.
We crowned Chris Sale the Battery Power Braves Player of the Month for the month of May.
Spencer Schwellenbach and Ronald Acuna each had fantastic Saturday evenings, powering the Braves to a smooth 5-0 lead.
MLB News
Astros’ star Yordan Alvarez has been shut down from swinging for the time being, as he recovers from a hand fracture.
The Mariners called up top middle-infield prospect Cole Young to make his major league debut.
Mookie Betts is out for a few games with a fractured toe, but he hopes to stay off the IL and return after only a few games.
The Cardinals are placing young outfielder Jordan Walker on the 10-day IL with wrist inflammation.