The Bench
Brian Snitker likes to use William Contreras in the DH spot while also playing d’Arnaud at catcher. This creates the need to add a third catcher to the roster in case of emergency.
Chadwick Tromp has been nursing a quad injury ever since his heroic August performance in Miami, but he was also just activated by the Braves. If he’s truly ready to go — or at least well enough to provide emergency-only support behind the plate — then it’s quite reasonable to believe he’ll be on the roster.
If not… Atlanta still probably needs to dig up a third catcher from somewhere.
Guillermo Heredia still represents the Braves’ best late-inning defensive outfielder option… and he can man any outfield position in case of injury.
Marcell Ozuna — regardless of any outside-the-lines considerations — has been providing some big hits lately. In this scenario, he’s not starting very often (if at all), but certainly could be used off the bench.
So that’s perhaps the 3 additional names to give Atlanta a final 14-12 alignment of position players and pitchers.
It leaves Ehire Adrianza off the list, but that’s the only real missing piece among the non-pitchers… and he’d almost certainly be named to the “taxi squad”… along with multiple pitchers from the “borderline” list noted above.
This also omits Albies… but the hope is that he might be available if the Braves are able to advance to the NLCS… which would begin a full month removed (Oct. 18) from his injury date (Sept. 17).
So that’s the guess here: no real surprises, but it’s a solid group that Snitker can go to war with.
The Braves have 101 wins on the season… they have perhaps 11 more to go, and all that begins next Tuesday afternoon when the Braves (almost certainly) play the early game as the NLDS round gets underway.