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Michael Harris II Michael Harris II Idle for series finale
Thu, Apr 30, 2026, 10:04 AM
Harris is out of the lineup for Thursday's game against the Tigers.
Analysis: Though he was in the lineup for Wednesday's 4-3 win while lefty Tarik Skubal started for Detroit, Harris will move to the bench for Thursday's series finale while the Tigers send another southpaw (Framber Valdez) to the hill. Eli White will step in for Harris in center field and will bat ninth. |
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Reynaldo Lopez Reynaldo Lopez Nabs win in relief
Thu, Apr 30, 2026, 8:54 AM
Lopez (2-1) picked up the win Wednesday over the Tigers, striking out two batters in two perfect innings of relief.
Analysis: The right-hander breezed through the eighth and ninth innings on just 17 pitches (12 strikes) and got rewarded when Matt Olson launched a walk-off homer. It was Lopez's first relief appearance since losing his spot in the rotation, but he wasn't showing increased velocity in his new role -- he topped out at 93.6 mph with his fastball Wednesday -- and he figures to be in the bullpen for a while. With Spencer Strider (oblique) set to come off the IL this weekend and rookie JR Ritchie making a good impression since his promotion, there's simply no room for Lopez in Atlanta's rotation right now. |
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JR Ritchie JR Ritchie Staying in rotation for now
Thu, Apr 30, 2026, 8:47 AM
Atlanta manager Walt Weiss said after Wednesday's 4-3 win over the Tigers that Ritchie won't be optioned back to Triple-A Gwinnett when Spencer Strider (oblique) returns from the injured list this weekend, Gabriel Burns of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.
Analysis: Weiss was effusive in his praise of the rookie right-hander after he battled for a no-decision Wednesday, and the skipper made it clear Ritchie would take his next turn in the rotation early next week in his hometown of Seattle. Atlanta hasn't revealed if it will shift to a six-man rotation when Strider is activated, or whether Martin Perez -- who's been designated for assignment once already this season -- will get bumped instead. In either scenario, Ritchie will end up getting a longer look in the majors. Through his first two MLB starts, he's produced a 2.92 ERA, 1.30 WHIP and 11:6 K:BB in 12.1 innings. |
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Ozzie Albies Ozzie Albies Goes yard again in win
Wed, Apr 29, 2026, 10:35 PM
Albies went 1-for-3 with a two-run home run, a walk and a second run scored in Wednesday's 4-3 win over Detroit.
Analysis: Albies made an early impression with a two-run blast off Tarik Skubal in the first inning. In the ninth, Albies drew a walk, allowing Matt Olson to play the hero with a walk-off blast against Kenley Jansen. Albies has now hit safely in 11 straight games, going 17-for-42 (.405) with three homers and 11 RBI in that span. The second baseman has been superb over the first month-plus of the year, batting .317 with an .897 OPS, seven homers, 20 RBI, 22 runs scored, five doubles and no stolen bases over 31 contests. He has added a 9:16 BB:K, showing a contact-based approach at the plate that's leading to the best rate stats of his career. |
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Matt Olson Matt Olson Launches walk-off blast
Wed, Apr 29, 2026, 10:31 PM
Olson went 2-for-4 with a two-run home run in Wednesday's 4-3 win over Detroit.
Analysis: Olson took Kenley Jansen deep in the ninth inning to give Atlanta a walk-off win. This was Olson's third homer during his seven-game hitting streak, a span in which he's gone 12-for-27 (.444) with nine RBI and eight runs scored. The first baseman is now batting .306 with a 1.017 OPS, nine long balls, 28 RBI, 27 runs scored, 13 doubles and no stolen bases over 31 contests this year. He's missed the 30-homer mark in each of the last two regular seasons, but he's showing excellent power early in 2026, which will get him back over that threshold if it holds up throughout the year. |
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JR Ritchie JR Ritchie Walks four in no-decision
Wed, Apr 29, 2026, 10:25 PM
Ritchie allowed three runs (two earned) on five hits and four walks while striking out four over 5.1 innings in a no-decision versus Detroit on Wednesday.
Analysis: Ritchie's own throwing error on a pickoff attempt led to the unearned run on his line in the second inning. He also gave up a solo home run to Riley Greene. All in all, Ritchie has done well over his first two major-league starts, surrendering five runs (four earned) across 12.1 innings with an 11:6 K:BB, though he has given up three homers. Spencer Strider (oblique) is set for his season debut Sunday in Colorado, which could lead to Ritchie heading back to Triple-A Gwinnett since he is a rookie and can be optioned. If Ritchie gets another start, it would likely come during next week's road series in Seattle. |
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Mike Yastrzemski Mike Yastrzemski Heading to bench Wednesday
Wed, Apr 29, 2026, 5:45 PM
Yastrzemski is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Tigers.
Analysis: After taking a seat against Phillies right-hander Aaron Nola on Sunday, the left-handed-hitting Yastrzemski will check out of the lineup against a lefty (Tarik Skubal) on Wednesday. Eli White will draw the start in left field in his stead, but Yastrzemski still projects to see the bulk of the playing time at the position. |
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Raisel Iglesias Raisel Iglesias Trending toward return next week
Wed, Apr 29, 2026, 3:52 PM
Atlanta manager Walt Weiss said that Iglesias (shoulder) could be reinstated from the 15-day injured list when first eligible next Tuesday, Mark Bowman of MLB.com reports.
Analysis: Per Grant McAuley of the Marietta Daily Journal, Iglesias completed a major step in his recovery from right shoulder inflammation by throwing off a mound Tuesday. Iglesias's shoulder is feeling a good a day later, and if he continues to respond well to his subsequent throwing sessions, Weiss believes that the right-hander will be able to bypass a rehab assignment before returning from the IL. Given the brevity of his absence, Iglesias should be able to reclaim closing duties upon his return, though Robert Suarez has converted both of his save chances without much drama since Iglesias hit the shelf. |
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Spencer Strider Spencer Strider Making season debut Sunday
Wed, Apr 29, 2026, 3:31 PM
Strider (oblique) will return from the 15-day injured list to start Sunday's game against the Rockies at Coors Field, Mark Bowman of MLB.com reports.
Analysis: Strider's left oblique checked out fine following his third and final minor-league rehab start last Sunday with Triple-A Gwinnett, setting the stage for the right-hander to make his 2026 debut with the big club. The 27-year-old gets a less-than-ideal landing spot for his first start with Atlanta in hitter-friendly Colorado, but he should be in line for relatively standard workload. He upped his pitch count to 82 and covered five innings in his final rehab outing. |
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Carlos Carrasco Carlos Carrasco Pushed off 40-man roster
Wed, Apr 29, 2026, 9:29 AM
Atlanta designated Carrasco for assignment Wednesday.
Analysis: He'll give up his spot on the roster and in the bullpen to left-hander Dylan Lee (personal), who was reinstated from the paternity list. After being called up from Triple-A Gwinnett last Thursday, Carrasco went on to toss a scoreless inning out of the bullpen against the Nationals later that day but didn't make any appearances beyond that. Assuming he clears waivers and doesn't elect free agency, Carrasco will likely return to Gwinnett, where he'll presumably slot back into the rotation. |
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Dylan Lee Dylan Lee Back from paternity leave
Wed, Apr 29, 2026, 9:26 AM
Atlanta activated Lee from the paternity list Wednesday.
Analysis: Lee was away for just one day while welcoming a new child to the family. The southpaw boasts a 1.38 ERA, 0.62 WHIP and 13:2 K:BB over 13 innings this season as one of Atlanta's key bullpen arms. Carlos Carrasco was designated for assignment to free up a roster spot. |
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Didier Fuentes Didier Fuentes Nabs first career hold
Wed, Apr 29, 2026, 9:17 AM
Fuentes walked one and struck out one in two scoreless innings of relief Tuesday to record his first hold of the season in a 5-2 win over the Tigers.
Analysis: The rookie right-hander took over for Martin Perez to begin the sixth inning and knifed through Detroit's hitters on just 22 pitches (12 strikes) to pick up his first career hold. Fuentes will remain in the big-league bullpen at least until Dylan Lee is back from the paternity list, but Atlanta will likely send Fuentes back to Triple-A Gwinnett at some point to continue developing as a starter. Through nine MLB innings this season, Fuentes has a 12:3 K:BB, albeit with a 5.00 ERA and 1.33 WHIP. |
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Ozzie Albies Ozzie Albies Two-run homer Tuesday
Wed, Apr 29, 2026, 8:28 AM
Albies went 1-for-3 with a two-run home run and a walk in Tuesday's 5-2 win over the Tigers.
Analysis: With Austin Riley struggling mightily at the plate, Albies has moved into the cleanup spot for Atlanta the last four games and swatted his sixth homer of the season in the bottom of the eighth to extend the lead to five runs. After hitting just .240 last season, Albies is off to a great start in 2026, slashing .316/.359/.513 with the six long balls, 18 RBI, 20 runs scored and an 8:16 BB:K across 128 trips to the plate. |
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Ronald Acuna Jr. Ronald Acuna Jr. Pair of doubles Tuesday
Wed, Apr 29, 2026, 8:23 AM
Acuna went 2-for-4 with two doubles, one RBI and a run scored in Tuesday's 5-2 win over the Tigers.
Analysis: Acuna led off the bottom of the first with a double and then doubled home a run in the third inning, getting the best of Casey Mize both times before the right-hander was lifted with groin tightness. Acuna has posted back-to-back two-hit games, as his bat is starting to heat up after an extremely slow start to the season. He's slashing .248/.360/.381 with just two homers, nine RBI, 15 runs scored, six stolen bases and an 18:26 BB:K across 136 plate appearances. |
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Martin Perez Martin Perez Picks up second win Tuesday
Wed, Apr 29, 2026, 8:17 AM
Perez (2-1) picked up the win Tuesday against the Tigers, allowing two hits and four walks with five strikeouts across five shutout innings.
Analysis: Perez's five strikeouts and four walks were both his most in a game this season. The veteran left-hander was tagged for four runs against the Diamondbacks on April 5 but has otherwise held opponents to two runs or fewer in his five other appearances. He kept the Tigers at bay with a heavy dose of changeups, throwing it more than 37 percent of the time Tuesday. Perez has a 2.22 ERA, 0.99 WHIP and 19:10 K:BB across 28.1 innings this season. With Spencer Strider (oblique) set for his season debut this week, Perez may head to the bullpen for Atlanta. |
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Spencer Schwellenbach Spencer Schwellenbach Will not return in first half
Tue, Apr 28, 2026, 4:00 PM
Atlanta manager Walt Weiss said Tuesday that Schwellenbach (elbow) has yet to begin a throwing program and will not make his season debut until after the All-Star break, Grant McAuley of the Marietta Daily Journal reports.
Analysis: Schwellenbach underwent surgery in February to remove bone spurs from his right elbow. The right-hander is making good progress, per Weiss, but there's no word yet on when he will be cleared for throwing. Schwellenbach was also sidelined for the final three months of the 2025 campaign with a small fracture in his elbow, so the club is proceeding extra cautiously with the hurler's rehab. |
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Hurston Waldrep Hurston Waldrep Could be ready in June
Tue, Apr 28, 2026, 3:55 PM
Atlanta manager Walt Weiss said Tuesday that Waldrep (elbow) will throw a bullpen session in about a week and could be ready to rejoin the team in June, Grant McAuley of the Marietta Daily Journal reports.
Analysis: Any timetable is approximate, as Waldrep has multiple boxes he needs to check. The young right-hander is working his way back from an arthroscopic procedure Feb. 23 to remove loose bodies from his pitching elbow. Waldrep is currently on the 15-day injured list but could shift to the 60-day IL if Atlanta needs the 40-man roster spot, as he will not be ready to return within the 60-day window. |
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Raisel Iglesias Raisel Iglesias Resumes throwing
Tue, Apr 28, 2026, 3:51 PM
Atlanta manager Walt Weiss said Tuesday that Iglesias (shoulder) has resumed throwing, Grant McAuley of the Marietta Daily Journal reports.
Analysis: Weiss added that he expects Iglesias back from the 15-day injured list when first eligible May 5 or shortly after. It's unclear whether Atlanta will ask Iglesias to go out on a brief rehab assignment first. Iglesias landed on the IL a week ago with right shoulder inflammation. |
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Spencer Strider Spencer Strider Rejoining rotation this weekend
Tue, Apr 28, 2026, 3:36 PM
Atlanta manager Walt Weiss said Tuesday that Strider (oblique) will be activated from the 15-day injured list to make his season debut this weekend in Colorado, Grant McAuley of the Marietta Daily Journal reports.
Analysis: A report earlier Tuesday said that Strider would make one more rehab start, but that turned out to be inaccurate. Weiss did not reveal the specific day Strider would make his season debut, but if he pitches on four days' rest as he has been on his rehab assignment, he'd start Friday. Strider threw 82 pitches over five innings Sunday with Triple-A Gwinnett, so he should be ready for a relatively normal workload against the Rockies. He's missed the first month of the season with a left oblique strain. |
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Spencer Strider Spencer Strider Not starting this weekend
Tue, Apr 28, 2026, 11:43 AM
Strider (oblique) isn't expected to be activated from the 15-day injured list to make his season debut this weekend in Colorado and could instead continue his rehab in the minor leagues, Lindsay Crosby of BravesToday.com reports.
Analysis: Strider threw 82 pitches over five innings Sunday for Triple-A Gwinnett in his third rehab start, and he's apparently not quite ready to enter the big-league rotation after previously being expected to face the Rockies this weekend. No setback has been reported, so it's possible Atlanta just wants to avoid the right-hander making his season debut at the hitter-friendly confines of Coors Field. Strider's first MLB start of 2026 now appears likely to come next week on the road against either the Mariners or Dodgers. |
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