This week is all about the Atlanta Braves staying fresh and healthy, or at least that was the plan. With their seed all but locked in a few days ago, the focus turned to balancing the need for rest with keeping the team sharp heading into the playoffs. While the Braves did get good news with Ronald Acuña Jr.'s successful return to the lineup, that optimism was quickly squelched when the news that Martin Perez was headed to the IL with a back issue broke.
Some of the reaction to Perez's injury has been overstated, but it is still a blow. Few would have much confidence in Perez on the mound in a playoff game given how he has looked in recent starts, but the fact remains that someone has to be available to start for the Braves beyond Chris Sale, Tyler Mahle, and Grant Holmes, especially after the Wild Card round. Given some of the recent news you may have missed around the team, that problem doesn't have any easy solutions at the moment.
Bryce Elder is progressing, but his NLDS availability remains uncertain
Before Perez's injury, the prevailing wisdom was that even if Bryce Elder was able to return quickly from a clean-up procedure on his knee, he would be shifted to the bullpen upon his return. However, Perez's absence has changed the calculus considerably, although it may not change the result.
Ignoring for the moment that asking Elder to be completely stretched out to start a playoff game with no minor league games to pitch in would be very tough, there is no guarantee that Elder will be healthy enough to pitch during the first two rounds of the postseason. When asked about Elder on Thursday, Weiss said that he did not know whether or not he would be ready by the NLDS. Not exactly a ringing endorsement, so you may want to brace yourselves for JR Ritchie in the playoffs.
Braves' lineup ranked seventh among all playoff teams by The Athletic (and it would be great if that proved true)
On paper, the Braves' offense should be as formidable as any in baseball given the names involved and what they have done in the past. However, in reality, this Atlanta lineup has been an infuriating source of inconsistency this offseason, and they are lucky some experts still rate them highly.
The Athletic recently ranked every lineup in the playoffs, and the Braves' crew finished right in the middle of the pack in seventh place. The report noted that while the Braves have dangerous hitters, they haven't been good over the last month or so, and down years from Austin Riley, Ozzie Albies, and Sean Murphy remain a problem. Given the level of offense Braves fans have seen lately, most fans would be thrilled if the Braves' offense was the seventh-best among playoff teams at this rate.
Wild Card schedule for Braves locked in as they await the identity of their opponent
While we do know that the Braves will be up against either the Cubs, Padres, Phillies, or Diamondbacks and that the Phillies and D-Backs are fighting for the last NL playoff spot, we still don't know exactly who Atlanta will be taking on yet. Thankfully, fans at least know when and where the Braves will be playing.
As the third seed, the Braves will be playing at home in the Wild Card round of the playoffs. It will be a best-of-three series at Truist Park, and the series will take place on September 29-October 1. Game start times won't be determined until the field is locked in, but that is a pretty good base of knowledge to start from so that you can go ahead and try to get out of work.
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