The Atlanta Braves suffered a couple of losses on Tuesday night in Kansas City. Despite a great offensive showing, Atlanta's bullpen was unable to keep the game close and put the Braves at risk for yet another series loss.
However, the biggest storyline is that Ronald Acuna Jr. is now on the 10-day IL with inflammation in his right Achilles. The latest update is that the discomfort is being felt mostly in his upper Achilles/lower calf area, but they will await an MRI to confirm the length of his absence.
With this bad news, the Braves once again have to navigate the season without one of their best players. Jarred Kelenic was called up to take Acuna's spot on the roster, but expect Eli White to get a majority of the starts in right field.
Michael Harris II's hot streak earned him a promotion in the Braves lineup
This does affect the lineup a bit, and manager Brian Snitker had to shuffle things once more. He made the curious decision to bat Michael Harris II in the cleanup spot during Wednesday afternoon's series finale with the Royals.
Series finale in Kansas City.#BravesCountry pic.twitter.com/I5D7xzlDZB
— Atlanta Braves (@Braves) July 30, 2025
It's an interesting choice with how much Harris has struggled this season. However, this does show the team is extremely encouraged by the recent success found after his stance change. He and Tim Hyers have unlocked something finally, and we hope it helps Harris maintain the consistency he's been searching for.
Harris is slashing .362/.393/.690 over his last 15 games with three triples, three home runs, four doubles, six RBI, and 1.083 OPS. He's absolutely scorching right now, and you can tell his confidence has returned.
We will see if he's able to continue this hot streak in the middle of the lineup. As long as he continues to do what he's doing, it should work out just fine. I don't expect this to be where he stays the rest of the season, but it will be interesting to watch over the next few days.
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