The Atlanta Braves have won three games in a row and seven of their last ten ballgames. Additionally, they opened an important series with the first place Philadelphia Phillies with a well played 3-1 victory.
There's a ton to recap from yesterday's events, including roster moves, injury updates, a phenomenal return, and an odd looking outfield. Let's get into all of it right now.
Jorge Soler remains sidelined for now
After a weekend off in Anaheim, many fans expected to see Jorge Soler back in the lineup on Tuesday night given he wasn't placed on the injured list. However, news broke before the game yesterday that Soler may remain out until Friday.
According to Mark Bowman of MLB.com, the Braves seem to think Soler will be ready to go come Friday. They're obviously being super cautious with his hamstring strain, but when the situation presented itself last night Soler was called upon to pinch-hit. For now, both Soler and d'Arnaud remain listed as day to day.
Reynaldo shoves in return to rotation
It's hard to comeback sharper than Reynaldo Lopez did for the Braves last night. Lopez has been sidelined since the end of July, and made just one rehab start before returning last night. However, that didn't stop Lopez from outdueling Phillies ace Zack Wheeler.
First double-digit strikeout outing of the season for Reynaldo 🔥#BravesCountry pic.twitter.com/tYdeHRIwdC
— Atlanta Braves (@Braves) August 21, 2024
In what has already been a masterful season for Lopez, he recorded his first double-digit strikeout game of the year last night. Everything was working for Lopez as he racked up the strikeouts, and most importantly there were no signs of discomfort on the mound.
Truist Park outfield looking rough after rain-filled concert
Before the two NL East teams took the field last night, the outfield was left in disheartening shape. The Truist Park outfield was left in dismal shape after rained soaked the grass before a concert last night.
They had a concert at Truist Park and it rained beforehand, and the result is the worst looking outfield I’ve seen in the majors in recent memory. pic.twitter.com/DkR2UYfUXE
— David O'Brien (@DOBrienATL) August 20, 2024
The end result was a very rough look for both fans and players. This isn't the first time a concert has damaged a Major League outfield, as a Metallica concert did the same to the Detroit Tigers in 2017. Luckily, the condition didn't seem to effect centerfielder Michael Harris II as he maintained a strong defensive night. Hopefully, over the coming days the grass is repaired and back to MLB standards by Ed Mangan and the Braves grounds crew.