Cancelled
- Ed Smith Stadium
Cancelled
Schedule
| Preseason | |
|---|---|
| @ | |
| vs | |
| @ |
Cancelled
|
| vs | |
| @ | |
| vs | |
| @ |
Thu, Feb 27
6:05 pm
MLBN
|
| @ |
Now Playing
Share Video
Link copied!
Top Braves News
-
Braves' Ian Anderson: Bumpy start to rotation battle
Anderson gave up one run on one hit and three walks over 1.2 innings in Sunday's Grapefruit League game against the Rays. He struck out one.
The right-hander seemed to have the most trouble with his changeup, bouncing a number of them in front of the plate, but one shaky outing in February isn't a big concern. Anderson's fastball velocity was in the low 90s, which is usually where he sits early in the spring per David O'Brien of The Athletic, and considering he's out of minor-league options, the 26-year-old would likely have to pitch his way out of a spot in the Opening Day rotation. If Anderson does completely fall apart in camp, Bryce Elder, Hurston Waldrep and AJ Smith-Shawver would be the most likely candidates to get a look in his place.
... See More ... See Less -
Braves' Chris Sale: Breezes through first spring action
Sale tossed two perfect innings with zero strikeouts in Saturday's Grapefruit League game against the Twins.
Atlanta's southpaw ace tossed 14 of 21 pitches for strikes, per David O'Brien of The Athletic, topping out at 95 mph with his fastball and not even featuring his plus-plus slider, which helps explain the lack of whiffs. Sale is happy with where he is with his mechanics at this stage of the spring, and after winning the NL Cy Young Award in 2024 while becoming the first pitcher in franchise history to record a Triple Crown by leading the league in wins (18), ERA (2.39) and Ks (225), he's on track to get the Opening Day assignment for Atlanta on the road against the Padres on March 27.
... See More ... See Less -
Braves' Joe Jimenez: Timeline still uncertain
Jimenez could end up missing the entire 2025 season as he recovers from offseason knee surgery, Justin Toscano of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.
Atlanta hasn't ruled the right-hander out yet, and if his rehab goes well he could rejoin the big-league bullpen soon after the All-Star break. Jimenez had the best statistical season of his career in 2024 despite pitching with pain in his left knee from July on, posting a 2.62 ERA, 0.99 WHIP and 82:23 K:BB over 68.2 innings while racking up a career-high 27 holds. In his absence, Pierce Johnson, Aaron Bummer and Dylan Lee figure to be the primary setup men for closer Raisel Iglesias. "I'm just focusing on my rehab," Jimenez said this week in camp. "Obviously it's a long process, but I come here every day to work and try to do everything that I can just to make it right now."
... See More ... See Less -
Braves' Spencer Strider: Mixes in curve during side session
Strider (elbow) threw to batters Friday, using both his fastball and curveball as he continues his recovery from last April's elbow surgery, David O'Brien of The Athletic reports.
It was the first time this spring Strider had thrown more than just a bullpen session, although the hitters stepping into the box against him were instructed not to swing. The next step for the right-hander will be live batting practice, but Atlanta hasn't indicated yet when that might happen. "We've done such a good job of building a base, making sure mechanics are in a good spot. My stuff and command have come along better than I could have expected," Strider said after Friday's session. After he added a curve to his repertoire in 2023, there had been some speculation he might abandon the pitch in case it had contributed to his latest elbow woes, but Strider has no intention of doing that. "I know some people have speculated, but those people, kindly, don't have all the information," Strider said. "So I appreciate their interest, but..." He remains on track to miss the first month or so of the regular season, but the organization has held off providing any sort of firm timeline for his 2025 debut.
... See More ... See Less -
Braves' Sean Murphy: Expecting rebound in 2025
Murphy believes the oblique injury he suffered Opening Day last season prevented him from ever getting comfortable with his swing, Mark Bowman of MLB.com reports. "It was a combination of a bunch of things," Murphy said this week. "Missing that much time at the beginning, that's not how I wanted to begin the season. I'm not sure my swing ever felt correct coming off the oblique, not that I was in any pain or hurt. Some things just fell off, and I never caught up and found a way to adjust."
The 30-year-old backstop roared out to an .843 OPS with 21 homers and 68 RBI -- all career highs -- over 108 games in his first season for Atlanta in 2023, but Murphy's production cratered in 2024 through 72 contests after he returned from the oblique strain. The team seems confident that the poor performance was an aberration, however, as Travis d'Arnaud was allowed to leave in free agency, leaving only Chadwick Tromp, Curt Casali and prospect Drake Baldwin competing for the backup job in camp. Murphy still has four more seasons left on the six-year, $73 million contract he signed in 2022, with Atlanta holding a $15 million club option for 2029, so he will be given every chance to regain his previous offensive form.
... See More ... See Less -
Braves' Chris Sale: Will kick off spring schedule
Sale will get the start Saturday for Atlanta's Grapefruit League opener against the Twins, David O'Brien of The Athletic reports.
The reigning NL Cy Young Award winner is almost certain to get the Opening Day start as well, but Atlanta has yet to make that official. Sale's 29 starts and 177.2 innings in 2024 represent his biggest workload since 2017, and the 35-year-old southpaw believes he'll be able to stay mostly healthy again this season. "I kind of found a routine that really worked well for me last year, and when I needed to adjust, I could," Sale said this week. "So again, I'm basically just trying to replicate what last offseason looked like, and then kind of do the same thing through spring training and hopefully it translates to the season." Manager Brian Snitker indicated that Sale's routine would once again include an extra day or two of rest between his starts, as Sale rarely worked on only four days' rest in 2024.
... See More ... See Less -
Braves' Hurston Waldrep: Reintroducing curve to arsenal
Waldrep is working on his curveball this spring after previously shelving the pitch, Justin Toscano of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.
Atlanta wanted the right-hander to refine his slider after selecting him in the first round in 2023, as it would make a better complement to his plus-plus splitter. Now that he's comfortable with the slider, however, he can turn his attention back to the curve. "So, the focus, when we got rid of it, was to work on the slider -- to work on making the slider kind of the forefront of the arsenal and let it make the splitter better, really," Waldrep said Tuesday. "So, adding the curveball back just kind of gives me a little better tool to lefties. It fits my fastball really well out of my arm slot, and it just kind of made sense to bring it back." The 22-year-old also took time this winter to study how pitchers like Gerrit Cole, Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander incorporated their curveballs into their pitch mix. Waldrep is likely to begin the season back at Triple-A Gwinnett, and while adding another reliable pitch can only help, control and command remain the biggest obstacles between him and a regular spot in the Atlanta rotation.
... See More ... See Less -
-
Braves' Michael Harris: Healthy, confident heading into '25
Harris said Sunday that he feels healthy heading into spring training after a productive offseason, Mark Bowman of MLB.com reports. "I feel like I prepared perfectly this offseason," Harris said. "Now, I just have to do whatever I can to make sure I stay healthy."
When asked by Bowman about whether a 30-steal, 30-homer season would be attainable in 2025, Harris wouldn't go as far to make any predictions about his statistical production, but the 23-year-old possesses the skill set to achieve the feat if his health cooperates. Harris has been slowed a bit by injuries in both of the past two seasons, with a lower back strain forcing a stint on the injured list in 2023 and a left hamstring strain sending him to the 60-day IL last summer. Over a 162-game pace in 2024, Harris produced 24 home runs and 14 steals, but his passivity on the basepaths in August and September may have been in part due to him avoiding a potential aggravation of the hamstring injury. With a clean bill of health entering the spring, Harris could be poised to increase his involvement as a base stealer in 2025 and make a serious challenge for a 30-30 campaign, and at the very least, his first 20-20 season. He finished one home run shy of the benchmark in 2022 and two home runs shy in 2023.
... See More ... See Less -
Braves' Buck Farmer: Invited to camp with Atlanta
Farmer has joined Atlanta's spring training camp as a non-roster invitee, Justin Toscano of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.
Farmer appeared in 61 games, including one start, with the Reds in 2024, posting a 3.04 ERA and 1.20 WHIP with 70 strikeouts over 71.0 innings. He'll now get a chance to prove himself with Atlanta ahead of the 2025 season.
... See More ... See Less -
Braves' Spencer Strider: Could see Grapefruit League action
Strider (elbow) could see action in at least one spring training game, Justin Toscano of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.
The right-hander is recovering from an internal brace procedure performed on his elbow last April, and after he threw another bullpen session Friday, general manager Alex Anthopoulos seemed optimistic that Strider could make his regular-season debut a little earlier than anticipated. "He's throwing bullpens, he looks good. Live [batting practice] will definitely happen in spring training, assuming no setbacks or things like that," Anthopoulos said Friday. The GM indicated that while Atlanta has an internal timeline for Strider, he wouldn't make it public just yet other than to say the 26-year-old ace would begin the campaign on the IL. "We have a calendar for him, but I think if we start saying, 'Hey, on this date he's doing this' and for whatever reason we decide to move it back a day or two, then it's a story and it's viewed as a setback or [that] we weren't forthcoming," Anthopoulos said. "So, what I can tell you is he will not be on the Opening Day roster, that has been decided."
... See More ... See Less -
Braves' Grant Holmes: Viewed as likely No. 5 starter
Holmes is seen as the early favorite to retain a spot in the rotation once Spencer Strider (elbow) is healthy, Justin Toscano of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.
Holmes and Ian Anderson are both out of minor-league options and are expected to round out the Opening Day rotation behind Chris Sale, Reynaldo Lopez and Spencer Schwellenbach, but one of the duo will get bumped once Strider is cleared to make his return from an internal brace procedure on his elbow performed last April. General manager Alex Anthopoulos views Holmes as ahead of Anderson in that battle. "Look, I mention him -- because of the way he pitched last year for us and so on, he'd be the front-runner for that spot," Anthopoulos said Friday. "We think Grant's got significant upside. He's got a plus curveball, plus slider, throws strikes." On the other hand, Anthopoulos also suggested Holmes could move to the bullpen at some point, and Holmes has a lot more experience in that role -- 65 of his 68 appearances at Triple-A Gwinnett over the last two seasons have come in relief, while Anderson has been exclusively a starter throughout his career.
... See More ... See Less -
-
Braves' Eli White: Receiving infield reps
White will spend most of spring training working as an infielder in an attempt to win a roster spot as a super-utility player, Justin Toscano of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.
The 30-year-old is out of minor-league options, and adding some positional versatility should help his bid for a roster spot with Atlanta in need of a utility infielder. White has four appearances at second base as a big leaguer but has otherwise exclusively played the outfield, though he did see infield action earlier in his baseball career.
... See More ... See Less -
Braves' Ronald Acuna: Could steal fewer bases
Acuna (knee) said Friday that he's planning to "take it easy" on the basepaths as he returns from left ACL surgery, David O'Brien of The Athletic reports.
Acuna estimated that he's running at "90 to 95 percent" and said his surgically repaired left knee feels much more stable than his right knee did following a prior ACL surgery. However, it sounds as though he does not intend to be as aggressive on the bases as he was before this most recent operation. While it's an understandable stance to take as Acuna tries to stay healthy, it does put a damper on his stolen base outlook for fantasy purposes. Acuna will not play in Grapefruit League games and is expected to miss roughly the first month of the season, although there's been no concrete timeline provided by Atlanta.
... See More ... See Less -
Braves' Jake Marisnick: Lands in Atlanta as NRI
Atlanta signed Marisnick to a minor-league contract Thursday that includes an invitation to big-league spring training, Justin Toscano of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.
Marisnick spent the 2024 campaign at Triple-A Salt Lake in the Angels organization, posting a .921 OPS with 12 homers in 59 games. The veteran outfielder remains a capable defender and has hit lefties well at times in his career, so it's possible he could push Bryan De La Cruz to be part of an early-season platoon with Jarred Kelenic in right field until Ronald Acuna (knee) is available.
... See More ... See Less -
Braves' Austin Riley: Healthy to start spring training
Riley (hand) took live batting practice at spring training Wednesday, Grant McAuley of 92.9 The Game Atlanta reports.
Riley appears to be operating under no restrictions to begin the spring after he finished the 2024 season on the injured list while recovering from the fractured right hand he suffered Aug. 18. With no reports indicating that he needed surgery to address the hand injury, Riley should have a good chance at re-emerging as the 30-plus-home-run hitter that he was in three straight seasons from 2021 through 2023 before he was limited to 19 long balls over 110 games in 2024.
... See More ... See Less -
-
Braves' Dylan Covey: Joins Atlanta on MiLB deal
Covey signed a minor-league contract with Atlanta on Tuesday that includes an invite to major-league spring training, Justin Toscano of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.
Covey recently elected free agency after being designated for assignment by the Mets and will now join a division rival. Covey spent most of last season rehabbing from a shoulder injury and last pitched in the majors in 2023, when he had a 3.77 ERA and 1.51 WHIP in 29 regular-season appearances between the Phillies and Dodgers.
... See More ... See Less -
Braves' Jake Diekman: Inks deal with Atlanta
Diekman signed a minor-league contract with Atlanta on Tuesday that includes an invite to big-league spring training, Justin Toscano of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.
The veteran left-hander had a 5.63 ERA, 1.47 WHIP and 40:24 K:BB over 43 regular-season appearances with the Mets last season before being released. Diekman posted a 3.67 ERA across the previous three seasons and could earn a spot in Atlanta's bullpen with a strong showing in spring training.
... See More ... See Less
2024 Team Statistical Rankings
| Avg | R | HR | ERA | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team |
.243 (15th) |
704 (15th) |
213 (4th) |
3.49 (1st) |
Injuries
| Player | Injury |
|---|---|
| R. Acuna RF Ronald Acuna RF | Knee |
| S. Strider SP Spencer Strider SP | Elbow |
| J. Jimenez RP Joe Jimenez RP | Knee |
| A. Perdomo RP Angel Perdomo RP | Elbow |
| Buy Tickets |
|---|