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Jose Suarez Jose Suarez Yields four runs in loss
Tue, Mar 31, 2026, 9:30 PM
Suarez (0-1) took the loss against the Athletics on Tuesday, allowing four runs on five hits and three walks while striking out six across 3.2 innings.
Analysis: Suarez opened Tuesday's game strongly by striking out two of the first three batters he faced, but he struggled across the next three frames before being pulled in the fourth. He was tabbed as Atlanta's fifth starter in the rotation after Spencer Strider (oblique) opened the season on the 15-day IL, but performances like Tuesday's would put Suarez in danger of losing his spot to candidates like Martin Perez and Didier Fuentes. For now, Suarez is slated to start against the Diamondbacks this weekend. |
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Drake Baldwin Drake Baldwin Smacks third homer in five games
Tue, Mar 31, 2026, 9:26 PM
Baldwin went 1-for-4 with a solo home run and a walk during Tuesday's 5-2 loss to the Athletics.
Analysis: Baldwin got Atlanta on the board with a solo homer off Aaron Civale in the first inning. Baldwin demonstrated his power potential in 2025, when he smacked 19 long balls in 446 plate appearances in the regular season. He already has three solo homers through the first five games of 2026 and has gone 5-for-19 (.263) over that span. |
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Robert Suarez Robert Suarez Nabs first hold with Atlanta
Tue, Mar 31, 2026, 10:14 AM
Suarez gave up a hit in a scoreless eighth inning Monday to record his first hold of the season in a win over the A's.
Analysis: The veteran righty notched 76 saves over the prior two seasons for the Padres, but Suarez is beginning 2026 in a setup role for Atlanta after signing a three-year, $45 million deal in December. He's looked good so far for his new club, dealing two scoreless innings with a 1:0 K:BB, but he'll need Raisel Iglesias to stumble as closer before he'll get consistent ninth-inning work for Atlanta. |
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Raisel Iglesias Raisel Iglesias Clean inning in 2026 debut
Tue, Mar 31, 2026, 10:10 AM
Iglesias worked a scoreless ninth inning in Monday's 4-0 win over the A's. He didn't record a walk or a strikeout.
Analysis: Atlanta hasn't produce a save situation yet for Iglesias, but he looked good in his first action of 2026, tossing seven of eight pitches for strikes while reaching 94.5 mph with his fastball, and the only A's hitter to reach base against him did so thanks to a Mauricio Dubon error, which quickly got erased by a double play. Iglesias has averaged 32 saves for Atlanta over the last three seasons and should have plenty of job security as a closer, but if he does falter, Robert Suarez stands as a ready replacement in the ninth. |
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Martin Perez Martin Perez Won't start Tuesday
Tue, Mar 31, 2026, 8:47 AM
Perez is expected to be available in relief for Tuesday's game against the Athletics with Jose Suarez being named Atlanta's starter, Chad Bishop of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.
Analysis: After Atlanta selected Perez's contract from Triple-A Gwinnett on Monday, the veteran lefty appeared to be the most likely candidate to fill the vacant fifth spot in the rotation. Instead, manager Walt Weiss will call upon Suarez, who wasn't needed out of the bullpen in the first four games of the season. Perez will take Suarez's place as a long-relief option, but with Atlanta not getting its first day off this season until April 9, there could be plenty of work available for him over the next week-plus. |
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Mauricio Dubon Mauricio Dubon Drives in three runs in win
Mon, Mar 30, 2026, 10:48 PM
Dubon went 3-for-4 with three RBI in Monday's 4-0 win over the Athletics.
Analysis: Dubon drove in a pair with a single in the first inning and added a third RBI on another single in the eighth to stretch Atlanta's lead to 4-0. With Ha-Seong Kim (finger) on the injured list, Dubon has started three of the first four games of the season at shortstop and is 4-for-10 at the plate with a team-leading five RBI. |
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Ronald Acuna Jr. Ronald Acuna Jr. Reaches base four times in win
Mon, Mar 30, 2026, 10:43 PM
Acuna went 2-for-2 with one double, one run scored and two walks in Monday's 4-0 win over the Athletics.
Analysis: After going just 1-for-12 at the plate with zero extra-base hits and a 1:3 BB:K in Atlanta's opening series against the Royals, it was a nice rebound game for Acuna, who reached base four times and logged his first extra-base hit of the 2026 season. Acuna is slashing .214/.353/.286 across 18 plate appearances through four contests. |
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Bryce Elder Bryce Elder Fires six scoreless in victory
Mon, Mar 30, 2026, 10:40 PM
Elder (1-0) allowed just five hits and walked one across six scoreless innings in Monday's 4-0 win over the Athletics. He struck out five.
Analysis: With all of the injuries in the Atlanta rotation, Elder opened the season in the starting five and breezed his way through his first outing of the 2026 campaign. He needed just 83 pitches to get through six frames and surrendered only one extra-base hit. Elder's next start should come Sunday against the Diamondbacks in Arizona. |
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Jose Suarez Jose Suarez Tapped to start Tuesday
Mon, Mar 30, 2026, 9:16 PM
Suarez will start Tuesday's game against the Athletics, Gabe Burns of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.
Analysis: Suarez will see his first action of the 2026 season Tuesday, and depending on how the outing goes, he could remain in the rotation as Atlanta's fifth starter until Spencer Strider (oblique) returns from the injured list. Suarez made one start a season ago with Atlanta and allowed two runs over seven innings and struck out nine in a victory over the Nationals. |
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Sean Murphy Sean Murphy Could play in rehab games this week
Mon, Mar 30, 2026, 3:54 PM
Murphy (hip) could begin a rehab assignment with High-A Rome later this week, Grant McAuley of the Marietta Daily Journal reports.
Analysis: Murphy has rejoined Atlanta to continue rehabbing from hip surgery. He will work out with the big club early this week before participating in a simulated game with Rome on Wednesday. Murphy has not played in a game setting in nearly seven months, so he will need more than just a few rehab contests before being activated from the 10-day injured list. The 31-year-old could be ready for his season debut around the beginning of May. |
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Spencer Strider Spencer Strider No timetable for rehab start
Mon, Mar 30, 2026, 3:48 PM
Strider (oblique) will travel with Atlanta on its road trip, but he remains without a timetable to begin a rehab assignment, Mark Bowman of MLB.com reports.
Analysis: Strider is expected to throw a live batting practice session at some point during the team's road trip that runs from April 2 through 8, and Atlanta will have a better idea at that point when the right-hander will be ready to pitch in a game. The right-hander is eligible for activation from the 15-day injured list April 6, and while he won't be ready to return by that date, it might not be much later than that. |
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Drake Baldwin Drake Baldwin Supplies only offense in loss
Mon, Mar 30, 2026, 10:54 AM
Baldwin went 2-for-4 with a solo home run in Sunday's 4-1 loss to the Royals.
Analysis: The second-year backstop took John Schreiber deep in the eighth inning to ruin a combined shutout for Kansas City. Baldwin has started all three of Atlanta's game so far, two at catcher and one at DH, while going 3-for-11 with two solo shots, a third run scored and a 2:2 BB:K. |
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Spencer Strider Spencer Strider Injury not viewed as serious
Mon, Mar 30, 2026, 10:51 AM
Strider (oblique) may not miss much more than the minimum amount of time, Thomas Harrigan of MLB.com reports.
Analysis: During an appearance on MLB Network Radio on Sunday, Atlanta president of baseball operations Alex Anthopoulos described Strider's oblique strain as "mild", and not as bad as the issue that cost Sean Murphy the first two months of 2024. "I think it will be sooner rather than later that you see [Strider] back," Anthopoulos said. The right-hander is first eligible to come off the IL on April 6, but it's not yet clear if he'll be ready by then. Strider himself missed about a month of action late in 2022 with an oblique issue. |
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Martin Perez Martin Perez Likely to start Tuesday's game
Mon, Mar 30, 2026, 8:50 AM
Atlanta selected Perez's contract from Triple-A Gwinnett on Monday.
Analysis: The veteran left-hander is a good bet to start Tuesday's game against the Athletics, though Jose Suarez is also an option. Perez put together a nice Grapefruit League showing with a 2.84 ERA and 10:3 K:BB over 12.2 innings. He could hold down a spot in Atlanta's rotation until Spencer Strider (oblique) is ready to go. |
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Didier Fuentes Didier Fuentes Sent down to minors
Mon, Mar 30, 2026, 8:45 AM
Atlanta optioned Fuentes to Triple-A Gwinnett on Monday.
Analysis: Fuentes wasn't going to be available to pitch for a few days after allowing one earned run over four relief innings in Sunday's loss to the Royals. He will enter the Gwinnett rotation so he can stay stretched out and could get an opportunity to start some games with Atlanta sooner rather than later. Martin Perez is taking Fuentes' spot on the active roster and could start Tuesday at home against the A's. |
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Didier Fuentes Didier Fuentes Excels in long relief
Sun, Mar 29, 2026, 6:11 PM
Fuentes struck out four and allowed one earned run on two hits and one walk across four innings of relief in Sunday's 4-1 loss to the Royals.
Analysis: Following an outstanding spring training in which he turned in a 0.66 ERA, 0.22 WHIP and 18:1 K:BB across 13.2 innings, Fuentes was able to clinch a spot on the Opening Day roster. Though Atlanta has an opening in its rotation while Spencer Strider is on the mend from an oblique injury, Fuentes looks like he'll have to settle for a multi-inning relief role early on. In his season debut Sunday, Fuentes ended up piggybacking starter Grant Holmes, covering the final four frames after Holmes worked the first five. With only four swinging strikes on 56 pitches, Fuentes didn't look as dominant as he had been in the Grapefruit League, but he pounded the zone and was able to limit hard contact. Jose Suarez or Martin Perez would appear to be the leading candidates to get the ball when a fifth starter is first needed Tuesday against the Athletics, but Fuentes has done his part thus far to earn a look in the rotation at some point this season. |
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Grant Holmes Grant Holmes Falls to Kansas City
Sun, Mar 29, 2026, 3:45 PM
Holmes (0-1) took the loss Sunday against the Royals, allowing three runs on five hits and two walks over five innings. He struck out four.
Analysis: Holmes set down the first six batters he faced Sunday before giving up a run in each of the third, fourth and fifth innings in an eventual 4-1 defeat. The right-hander was stellar in spring training, allowing just two runs in 17.2 innings. Holmes made 21 starts for Atlanta in 2025, posting a 3.99 ERA with a 1.34 WHIP and 123:54 K:BB across 115 innings. |
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Mauricio Dubon Mauricio Dubon Taking seat Sunday
Sun, Mar 29, 2026, 10:07 AM
Dubon is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Royals.
Analysis: Dubon started at shortstop in the first two games of the season and has gone 1-for-4 with a double, a walk and two RBI. Jorge Mateo will take over at shortstop for the series finale, batting ninth. |
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Dominic Smith Dominic Smith Walk-off grand slam in team debut
Sat, Mar 28, 2026, 9:42 PM
Smith went 1-for-4 with a grand slam in Saturday's 6-2 win over the Royals.
Analysis: Smith played the role of hero Saturday, crushing a walk-off grand slam in his team debut to punctuate Atlanta's six-run comeback in the ninth inning. With Sean Murphy (hip) on the injured list to begin the year and Jurickson Profar suspended for the entire season, the left-handed-hitting Smith has a clear pathway to at-bats at designated hitter versus right-handed pitching for the time being. |
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Reynaldo Lopez Reynaldo Lopez Six strong innings in season debut
Sat, Mar 28, 2026, 9:17 PM
Lopez took a no-decision Saturday against the Royals, allowing one run on three hits and two walks in six innings. He struck out three.
Analysis: Lopez might not have been overly dominant in his season debut, but he kept the Royals quiet until Salvador Perez opened the scoring with a seventh-inning solo shot. It was particularly encouraging to see the right-hander get his fastball velocity as high as 97 mph, considering he's coming off arthroscopic shoulder surgery from a year ago. Lopez tossed 77 pitches Saturday, and he'll be trying to further build himself up during his next scheduled outing in Arizona. |
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