Category: baseball games

Opening Weekend Success:

Photo: Courtesy @braves

The Atlanta Braves 2024 season is officially underway, and the Braves started off on a positive note by winning 2 out of 3 games against their rivals the Philadelphia Phillies.

With a 9-3 win on Friday and a 12-4 win on Saturday, Atlanta’s offense proved that they did not lose any of their power at the plate. Ozzie Albies hit the Braves’ first home run of the season in the first inning of Saturday’s game, and other home runs soon followed. The Braves were also able to escape run deficits and secure the win. They were almost able to do this during Sunday’s game, however they came up one run short and lost 4-5.

Pitching wise, Atlanta’s starters did pretty well. Spencer Strider went 5 innings in Game One, only allowing three hits and two runs. He also had 8 strikeouts. He did not get the win, however, but the Braves bullpen showed off their arms to keep the Phillies’ bats from doing any damage. In game two, Max Fried had some struggles. He threw 43 pitches over 0.2 innings and surrendered 3 runs. There was a very questionable call from the umpire on a 2-2 count with two outs and the bases loaded that did not go the Braves’ way. If the umpire had made the correct call, Fried wouldn’t have surrendered a single run and could’ve possibly gone a couple more innings. There wasn’t anything wrong with the velocity of Fried’s pitches, his command just wasn’t there. He was hanging pitches and couldn’t command the strike zone. Hopefully, in his next start, he will come out stronger.

Chris Sale made his Braves debut on Sunday’s game. He threw 5.1 innings, had 7 strikeouts, and only allowed 2 runs. It was a bummer that the Braves bullpen could not maintain the lead to secure the win, but it was a very positive start for Sale. And it was exciting to see him pitch a good game.

Unfortunately, on Opening Day, Sean Murphy strained his left oblique with a swing late in the game. He is expected to miss a couple weeks at least. Having Murphy go down after just one game of the season is definitely not something a manager wants, but the positive outlook from it is that he will be healthy late in the season when the playoffs are right around the corner. Thankfully we have dependable d’Arnaud who is capable of catching multiple games in a row.

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As always, the Atlanta Braves are exciting to watch, and I am excited to see what the 2024 season has in store for them!

GO BRAVES!!

Looking Ahead to the Braves 2024 Season:

During the 2023 offseason, the Atlanta Braves added two bigger-name players: LHP Chris Sale and left-fielder Jarred Kelenic. They also added Reynaldo Lopez and Aaron Bummer who are both relief pitchers. These are the only main acquisitions they have made thus far.

After trading Vaughn Grissom to the Red Sox for Chris Sale, Atlanta signed him to a 2-year $38 million contract which includes a $16 million option for the 2026 season. Sale is a 7-time All-Star, however the past few seasons he has been plagued with injuries and hasn’t been able to pitch like he once did. The Braves are hoping he can give them some stability in the starting rotation in the fourth or fifth spot, but given his past couple of seasons, it is up in the air whether that will happen or not. In 2023, Sale struck out 30% of the batters he faced which makes makes his strikeouts per game right around 11. Considering he didn’t pitch a full season in 2023, that is a good stat.

Chris Sale is also 34 years old. By the time the 2024 season starts he will be 35. That is an older age for a pitcher. In most cases when they reach this age they have passed their prime. It is also more likely for a pitcher to have more season-ending injuries when they get into their 30’s (This has been the case for Sale, and another example of this would be Jacob deGrom who has had a lot of injures in the past few seasons which has led to a decrease in his pitching and the quality of his pitching). Hopefully, despite a few “down seasons” Chris Sale can give the Braves some good quality starts and bolster their rotation.

As for Reynaldo Lopez and Aaron Bummer, they both have similar stats. They’re both 30 years old, and ironically they both played for the Chicago White Sox for their entire career until the 2023 season when they went to different teams. Their stats aren’t knock you off your feet impressive, but when looking at them on a piece of paper, they seem consistent. Over 55+ innings, neither one of them gave up over 10 home runs in the 2023 season. And for the Braves bullpen, who has been known to give up home runs late in a game, that is a promising stat. However, we all know that what things look like on paper aren’t always what you get in a game, but these promising statistics give a glimpse of hope to these two starters as added depth to the bullpen.

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Jarred Kelenic was the acquisition that surprised me the most. The Braves made the decision to decline Eddie Rosario’s 2024 option on his contract, which made the position of left field open. I thought that they might sign Kevin Pillar to a contract since he played well for the Braves in the 2023 season, but nope.

Kelenic hasn’t had a ton of experience in the big leagues, and at only 24 years old he still has a good amount of playing time left. Not to mention he also has time to grow and become a better player. His numbers aren’t fantastic, but he was consistent over the 2023 season, ending with a .253 average over 105 games. There is definitely room for growth with those numbers, and Braves GM Alex Anthopoulos seems confident that he can achieve that growth with the Braves team. Let’s hope he’s correct.

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Regardless of who the Braves signed in the offseason, they still have most of their team intact. In fact, the only two players that won’t be there are Eddie Rosario and Kevin Pillar. This means that the lineup will stay the exact same with the addition of Jarred Kelenic. Atlanta has a very powerful lineup, and a very good defense. The only thing that has been questionable in the past couple of years has been the starting pitching and the bullpen. Hopefully, with these few additions, AND players returning from the injured list, the Atlanta Braves will make it farther in the Postseason after the 2024 season.

GO BRAVES!!

The Braves Are National League East Champs 6 Years in a Row!!!!

What an exciting day to be an Atlanta Braves fan! With a 4-1 win over the Philadelphia Phillies, the Braves clinched the NL East for the 6th consecutive year.

The 2023 season has been a great season for Atlanta. They lead all of MLB in wins with 96, they lead all of MLB in home runs, not to mention Ronald Acuña Jr. and Matt Olson are having record-breaking seasons.

This team is relentless…you see this every time they hit the field. The Braves players give every single game everything that they have and continue to prove they are the best of the best.

Yes, Atlanta has clinched the East and they have guaranteed themselves a spot in the NLDS, but the hardest part is still to come. There are 16 games left in the regular season, and then it’s time for some Postseason baseball. It is going to be an exciting Postseason run for the Braves, and I truly believe they have what it takes to win the World Series again this year.

I already bought my t-shirt!

GO BRAVES!!!

Braves Injury Update:

There have been a lot of injuries for the Atlanta Braves in the 2023 season, especially to the starting rotation and the bullpen. While injuries are not good for a team, you could consider the Braves “lucky” that they have had all of these injuries happen earlier in the season instead of September when Postseason baseball is right around the corner.

Ozzie Albies- left hamstring strain:

Albies strained his hamstring on August 13th up in New York against the Mets. The Braves said it wasn’t a severe injury, but they weren’t taking any chances with their All-Star second baseman who is such a key component to this team. Coming up to this game, Ozzie Albies had played in all 117 games this season. He is such a good player, and while Nicky Lopez and Vaughn Grissom have done a good job a second base, it just isn’t the same without Ozzie out there.

Albies’ 10-day IL period is up, and he is available to play tonight (August 25th) against the San Fransisco Giants. However, the Braves coaching staff have chosen not to start him in tonight’s game. That’s a huge bummer. But I can almost guarantee you that Ozzie is dying to get back out on the baseball field and will do just about anything to be in the lineup for the Braves!

Kyle Wright- right shoulder strain:

I am pleased to say that Kyle Wright threw his first rehab start on August 23rd with the Rome Braves! He threw 26 pitches over 3.0 innings with zero earned runs, no walks, four strikeouts, and only one hit.

Wright has been on the Injured List since early May. He had shoulder discomfort in Spring Training which led to a delayed start to the 2023 season with the hopes that he would be healed enough to pitch for the Braves. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case.

However, it is SO good to see promising numbers from Wright in his first rehab start. I am sure that it has been hard for him having to sit in the dugout day in and day out while the rest of his teammates are getting to play the game they all love. Yes, the Braves are going to be cautious with Kyle Wright and give him plenty of rehab starts to make sure that he is ready to go, but Wright is getting healthy at the right time and this is a good sign for the Braves!

Jesse Chavez- left shin contusion:

Jesse Chavez has been on the Injured List since June 14th when he was hit with a comebacker against the Tigers. He has been cleared to throw off the mound and has been doing workouts with the team, but it seems like he is still a couple weeks away, at the least, from returning to the Braves. His leg is still giving him discomfort, and the Braves’ training staff doesn’t want to create further injury to Chavez’s leg by bringing him back to pitch until he is 100%.

Chavez has been such a key component of this Atlanta Braves team. He is the one that the Braves could always count on coming out of the bullpen. Hopefully he will be back soon, and he will help strengthen this powerful Braves team.

Dylan Lee- left shoulder inflammation:

Like Kyle Wright, Dylan Lee has also been on the Injured list since early May with a shoulder problem. Lee, however, has made three rehab starts with the Gwinnett Stripers. Over those three rehab starts he pitched 3.0 scoreless innings only allowing one baserunner which came via the walk. This is an encouraging sign.

The next step for Dylan Lee in his rehab process would be to pitch multiple innings in one game, and then pitch to back to back games. Lee is one of the guys that Brian Snitker relies on heavily. So being able to perform well in consecutive innings and back to back starts will be crucial for Dylan Lee before he makes his return.

Yonny Chirinos- right elbow inflammation:

After only making 5 starts for the Atlanta Braves, Yonny Chirinos went on the Injured List. Granted, Chirinos has not done well with the Braves posting a 9.27 ERA over those 5 starts, but it is still a loss to have a player go on the IL. The Braves will give him the time needed to heal, and hopefully, during his rehab starts he will get into a rhythm again and start to pitch well.

Sam Hilliard- right heel contusion:

Sam Hilliard went on the Injured List on July 19th, after jamming his right foot into the first base bag on the night before. Hilliard actually began his rehab assignment on August 1st with the Gwinnett Stripers. Unfortunately, Hilliard re-injured his heel on August 5th during one of his rehab assignments. This was a big blow for him personally, and now it is unsure if he will get to play in the reminder of the season.

Obviously, you hate for any player to be hurt. But the Braves do have a strong bench right now with Kevin Pillar and Nicky Lopez, so they don’t have to feel rushed into getting Hilliard healthy in time for the Postseason.

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Yes, I know. That is a LOT of injuries -especially to pitchers- and I didn’t even cover all of the team’s ailments. But to me, despite all of the set-backs, this just shows how relentless the Atlanta Braves are. They have not let their injuries determine how they play on a daily basis. They still go out there every night and give every inning their all… and it has paid off. The Braves still lead all of Major League Baseball in wins with 82. Not to mention they’re still atop the National League East by 13.5 games.

It’s been quite a season for the Braves, and I’m excited to continue to watch them succeed!

GO BRAVES!!

An Update on Where the Braves are at Going Into the Month of August:

There are 56 games left in the season, and despite being 13-10 in July, the Atlanta Braves are still leading the MLB in wins with 69, and are atop the National League East by 11.5 games. With that in mind, Atlanta is coming into August with their heads held high!

Like always, the Braves are continuing to prove just how exhilarating of a team they are. They just wrapped up their series against the Los Angelas Angels (July 31st-August 2nd) in which they won two of the three games.

Atlanta’s offense has finally started to come back again, and it is exciting to watch. The Braves have already hit a whopping 206 home runs this season, and the next closest team to the Braves in home runs is the Los Angelas Dodgers with 169- that’s a big difference! With the pace they are at right now, the Braves are on track to hit a LOT more home runs, and potentially break the single season record for home runs that was set by the Minnesota Twins in 2019. They hit a total of 307 home runs that season. The Braves only need 101 more!

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Injury wise for the Braves, there have been some updates. Max Fried has been assigned to return to the Braves rotation, and he will make his first start in almost three months in Chicago against the Cubs on Friday, August fourth. It will be good to see Fried on the mound once again, and hopefully he will pick up where he left off and continue to bring stability to the Atlanta rotation.

Kyle Wright should hopefully be returning before the month of August is over. He strained his shoulder back in May, and although he has been cleared to throw again, Atlanta’s training staff has not scheduled any rehab starts. Obviously they want to be extremely careful with Wright since he is so young and has such good potential, but hopefully he will begin a rehab assignment within the next couple of weeks.

The Braves have had a lot of pitcher-related injuries this season, and a lot of them are still a month or two away from returning. But fingers crossed that they will all be healthy and ready to go when it gets time for the postseason.

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The Atlanta Braves have some VERY talented players. They prove day in and day out just how good they are and why they deserve to be at the Major League level.

Ronald Acuña Jr. has 51 stolen bases already this season which is quite impressive. After tearing his ACL in 2021, we saw Acuña be much more cautious in the 2022 season. But now, you can tell that he is completely healthy again and having fun on those bases! It will be thrilling to watch and see how many he wracks up by the end of the season.

Matt Olson is currently leading the National League in home runs with 37. He is just two behind Shohei Ohtani (39) who leads all of MLB in home runs. Along with leading the NL in home runs, Matt Olson leads MLB in RBI’s with 91. So it is safe to say he is very productive in the Braves lineup. Olson is a very strong left-handed hitter. Yes, he pulls the ball sometimes, but we also see him hit the ball to straightaway center and to opposite field. He is such a good hitter and even though he has a tendency to strike out, I don’t feel that he gets all of the credit he deserves.

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I could sit here and talk ALL day about how good every single player in the Braves lineup is. One through nine, they all contribute each and every day and you can see how much playing for this Braves team means to them. They’re an exciting bunch to watch and I can’t wait to see what the remainder of the season has in store for them.

GO BRAVES!!

What I’m Most Excited For Coming Into the Second Half of the 2023 Season:

The Atlanta Braves had a fantastic first half of the season! They lead all of Major League Baseball with 60 wins and only 29 losses. They are in first place in the NL East by 8.5 games and have a very impressive lineup.

It has been a couple of days since the 2023 All-Star game, which the National League won 3-2. Tonight, July 14th, the Braves will kick off the second half of the 2023 season at home against the Chicago White Sox.

Coming out of the All-Star Break, here are some things I am looking forward to seeing with this Braves team:

~The Return of Max Fried

It has been awhile since Max Fried has pitched for the Braves since he strained his left forearm back in May. He made his first rehab start on July 9th – throwing 1 and 1/3 innings, allowing only one hit and two walks. This is definitely a big step in the right direction for Fried, and we hope to see his rehab starts continue and him back and the Major League level within the next month.

~The Return of Kyle Wright

Kyle Wright has been out since early May with a right shoulder strain. He has been cleared to throw again, but the Braves are going to play it safe with him since, not only is he such a great pitcher, but he is also very young. No one wants to do anything to jeopardize his playing career.

~The Atlanta Braves’ Offense

Let’s face it, the Braves have one of – if not the most– exciting lineups in all of baseball! Every single day they give everything they’ve got and continue to out perform their competition. Not to mention they hit a TON of home runs, which brings extra excitement to every game. This is something I’m excited to see continue throughout the remainder of the season.

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If I could only use one word to describe this Atlanta Braves team it would be this: RELENTLESS. To me it sums up our Atlanta team perfectly because no matter how many injuries they have, how many losses they get in a row, or how much doubt is thrown their way… they do not give up. If anything, the hardships and negativity they face gives them the determination they need to play harder and ultimately win it all. We’ve seen this first hand in the first half of the 2023 season.

I think it’s safe to say the Postseason isn’t an “IF” for the Braves, but a “WHEN.” It will be exciting to watch them play the rest of the season and get to the Postseason. In the end I believe they have a chance to bring another World Series trophy home!

GO BRAVES!!

Atlanta Braves 2023 All-Stars:

The Braves have not one, not two, but EIGHT players going to the All-Star game this year… and three of them are starters!

We knew that no matter what, at least one Brave was going to be in the All-Star game. But let’s face it, with the way the Braves are playing right now, the whole team deserves to be there.

Atlanta’s All-Stars this year are:

  • Ronald Acuña, Jr.
  • Sean Murphy
  • Orlando Arcia
  • Ozzie Albies
  • Matt Olson
  • Austin Riley
  • Spencer Strider
  • Bryce Elder

Ronald Acuña Jr, Sean Murphy, and Orlando Arcia are the Braves starters this year.

It’s safe to say that Albies, Riley, and Olson could’ve easily been starters…but the votes didn’t go their way this year. But at least they got the All-Star nod they deserved!

As for Bryce Elder and Spencer Strider, they have been the most consistent out of the starting rotation for the Braves, and they’ve put up pretty good numbers this year. Bryce Elder has the best ERA in all of baseball at 2.45 over 17 games. And Spencer Strider leads the MLB in strikeouts with 155. So it is safe to say these two pitchers have had some impressive numbers so far this season.

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It will be exciting to watch the Braves in the All-Star game, especially since the ENTIRE infield made it this year. Wouldn’t it be so cool to have all of them out on the field at the same time – and with a Braves pitcher on the mound?! That is not likely to happen since Arcia and Murphy are starters, but it would definitely be something special.

With the All-Star Break coming up soon, I can’t wait to see what the second half of the season has in store for the Atlanta Braves!

GO BRAVES!!

Braves’ Recent Lineup Swap:

The Atlanta Braves have been on quite a tear lately. They have 53 wins coming into today’s game and are still in first place in the NL East with a 6.0 game lead.

I think a part of their continuing success is due to their recent lineup swap where the Braves swapped second baseman Ozzie Albies and first baseman Matt Olson in the lineup. Albies now hits second after Acuña and Olson hits in the 4,5, or 6 hole deepening on who the Braves are facing that day.

Honestly, I really like this move. While Matt Olson is a great hitter, I believe he strikes out too much to hit in the second in the lineup. While Ozzie Albies still strikes out, like all players do, his strikeout percentage has gone down a decent amount this year.

Since being swapped in the lineup, both Albies and Olson have hit very well. Olson leads the National League in home runs, with 26 long balls, and he also leads the National league with 62 RBI’s. It’s obvious that he’s got a LOT of power in his bat.

And as for Ozzie Albies, he seems to thrive wherever he hits in the lineup. He’s one of those players that no matter where you put him – he just wants to play and will give you all he’s got in every at-bat. Albies has 18 home runs, and has 56 RBI’s which is the second most in the National League. So it’s safe to say that they are not slacking in the Atlanta lineup.

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The Atlanta Braves have been an exciting team to watch this year, and Albies and Olson have definitely contributed to the excitement! I am looking forward to seeing what they bring next to this hot-hitting team!

GO BRAVES!!

Takeaways From the Braves vs Tigers Series:

On their brief roadtrip, the Braves took two out of three games against the Detroit Tigers, winning the series. Their two wins were in a doubleheader on Wednesday June 14th, because their second game of the previous series was postponed due to rain.

Multiple things happened in this series for the Braves; some good, and some not so good.

THE POSITIVES:

  • Michel Harris II is finally starting to come to life offensively.

It is no secret that Michel Harris II has struggled big time to start the 2023 season. It was like his rookie magic had completely gone away. He was still showing off defensively – making superb plays in the outfield – but offensively was a serious struggle.

However, over the three games against the Tigers he had seven hits, two home runs, five RBI’s, two stolen bases, and he did not strike out a single time. Those are some impressive numbers considering the slow start that he got off to in the beginning of the season! Hopefully he will continue to hit as well as he has been hitting lately and continue to shine in the remainder of the season.

  • The Braves are continuing to shine offensively

Over the three game against the Tigers, the Atlanta Braves’ hitters scored a total of 21 runs and hit 6 home runs. Those are some pretty impressive numbers – especially considering they had to play a doubleheader and did not have a lot of time to rest between games.

Not only were they hitting lots of bombs, but they were hitting lots of grounders for hits and line drives for hits, and they were taking walks when they needed to.

The Atlanta Braves might not be a bunting team, but they know how to move runners over in other ways!

THE NEGATIVES:

  • Jesse Chavez goes on the 15 day IL

In game three of the series, Jesse Chavez came into the sixth inning to pitch. After throwing four pitches, he was hit in the shin by a 100mph comebacker. He immediately went down onto the ground and had to be helped off the field. The Braves medical staff announced this morning that he has a left shin contusion. While we are very thankful that it isn’t anything worse, Chavez will definitely be missed. He has had a good season this year and is always a consistent veteran pitcher.

  • Braves starting rotation isn’t as sharp as usual

Pitching is SO important for any professional ball club, and historically, the Atlanta Braves have been known to have really good pitching. The Braves started off with having good pitching, and while Bryce Elder is still pitching very well, it seems like the remainder of the starting pitchers (that aren’t hurt) aren’t as sharp as we’re used to seeing. Especially Spencer Strider.

Spencer has a 7-2 recored over 14 games, but he has a 4.12 ERA, which is high for him. Strider had a fantastic rookie season in 2022, so he had high expectations coming into this season. And it’s not that he has pitched badly – he just hasn’t been as sharp as he was last year. That is most likely because he isn’t facing batters for the first time; he’s facing people who have seen him before and have a taste of what is coming.

I am positive that Spencer Strider will figure things out though and be the great pitcher we know he can be.

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I know I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: the Braves are an exciting team to watch this year. I believe that if they can stay healthy and keep playing like they are, they have a chance to win it all this year!

GO BRAVES!!

An Update on the Braves Pitching Situation:

The Atlanta Braves have been bit by the injury bug a lot so far this season, and it has hit their starting rotation the most.

With big injuries to Max Fried (left forearm strain) and Kyle Wright (right shoulder strain), a lot of the weight from the starting rotation has moved to the bullpen. Atlanta’s bullpen has done really well this year. However, when the big injuries to the starting rotation took place, it was like it changed something in the bullpen… and not for the better.

Obviously with the two big injuries a lot of pressure was placed on the bullpen, but the Braves bullpen normally doesn’t crack under pressure. But we saw in the last two series Atlanta played, against the Boston Red Sox and Toronto Blue Jays, that the bullpen could not hold a lead. In three out of four of those games, the bullpen blew a 2-run lead late in the games, which didn’t give enough time for the Braves offense to come back.

A.J. Minter, who in the past has done really well for the Braves, has not been off to a good start in the bullpen. In fact, I’d say he’s struggled the most out of all the Braves bullpen pitchers this season. He is 2-5 on the season and has an ERA of 8.05 over 20 games. He’s only given up 6 walks over those 20 games, but it seems like almost everyone he faces gets a hit off of him. Minter started the season as the Braves closer while Raisel Iglesias was on the IL, and now that Iglesias is back Minter has resumed his role of pitching in the 7th or 8th inning.

Hopefully now that Iglesias is back as closer, it will take some of the added pressure off of A.J. Minter and he will return to being the great pitcher we saw in 2022.

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The Atlanta Braves are currently running off of a three-man starting pitching rotation with Spencer Strider, Charlie Morton, and Bryce Elder. Ideally you want a five-man starting rotation, but for the Braves that is easier said than done. Because of the two big injuries to the starting rotation, the Braves have been doing a lot of bullpen games. Jared Shuster is set to pitch tonight (Tuesday, May 16th), and the Braves coaching staff called up Dylan Dodd for a game and then sent him back down to Triple-A Gwinnett. If Shuster does well, and Dodd continues to pitch like he has been, the Braves could easily place them in the rotation to fill in those two missing slots while Fried and Wright are on the IL.

Another thing to keep an eye on regarding the Atlanta Braves starting rotation is Michael Soroka. Soroka started the 2023 season in Gwinnett for the Braves – and with good reason. After coming off tearing his ACL twice in a span of almost two years, and straining his hamstring, doubts of whether Soroka would ever pitch again began to fill all of Braves Country’s minds. But Soroka did not give up. He hasn’t pitched a Major League game since August of 2020, but he is not letting that stop him. He has been working hard in Triple-A, and I’m sure he’s itching to pitch in a MLB game again.

The Braves training staff is playing his rehab assignment very carefully. I’m sure they want him to not only be comfortable on the mound, but for his body to be in good condition so that when he finally gets to pitch again he shouldn’t have any physical problems.

Soroka’s ERA in Gwinnett is 5.47 over 24 innings. He has had some scoreless starts, but he has also had some blowout games. With that being said, I also think the Braves are going to allow him to sort out his starts and become more consistent before they bring him back up to the Majors to resume his career.

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Every Major League team will go through injury-plagued stretches during some seasons. Although the Atlanta Braves have been through a lot lately, I’m glad these inconveniences are happening during the beginning of the season rather than in late August/September when postseason baseball is right around the corner.

I strongly believe the Braves are going to be the team to beat this year, and I’m excited to see where this exciting season will take them!

GO BRAVES!!