The Atlanta Braves are going to have their hands full against the Dodgers in the NLDS over the next week or so. The Dodgers have a roster that was built sparing no expense and with little regard for hanging on to their prospects to plan for the future. Hell, many of the players who have won MVP or Cy Young awards in recent years are all under contract with LA. To beat them, the Braves are going to have to optimize every advantage they can, including with their playoff roster.
The Braves turned some heads in the Wild Card round when they only carried 11 pitchers and opted instead to carry both Dom Smith and Rowdy Tellez. That decision ultimately worked out, but that isn't likely to work again. Five game series mean a greater reliance on pitchers giving you innings, so you need to carry more arms.
Well, Atlanta's playoff roster choices are in and have been made public, and it looks like the Braves made the necessary adjustments. Not only did they go back up to 13 pitchers, but the Braves also confirmed the return on lefty-killer Lane Thomas.
Your 2026 NLDS roster!#LetItFly pic.twitter.com/C9Ja61916L
— Atlanta Braves (@Braves) October 3, 2026
Braves announced their playoff roster against the Dodgers, including Lane Thomas' return from injury
As was the case in the Wild Card round, most of the Braves' decisions were pretty much set in stone. The lineup remains mostly the same, and the usual suspects on the pitching staff are back on the playoff as well. For the most part, what was in question for Atlanta was their bench as well as which arms they were going to decide to add to the group that they threw out there against Philly.
The biggest news is the return of Lane Thomas. There were strong hints Thomas would return for the NLDS, but getting confirmation is just terrific. The Dodgers already confirmed that Games One and Two were going to be started by two lefties in Tarik Skubal and Blake Snell, so having more help from the right side of the plate is more than welcome.
Other changes include the additions of JR Ritchie and AJ Smith-Shawver, who are both starting options as well as potential multi-inning relievers. Somewhat surprisingly, Rowdy Tellez survived the purge on the offensive side, while Dominic Smith and Luke Williams did not...at least for this round.
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