The Braves opened the second half with a jolt, hanging 15 runs on the Rangers and getting seven scoreless innings from Chris Sale in a game that only added to the noise around his NL Cy Young case. Atlanta’s offense spread the damage around, but Drake Baldwin set the pace with three hits, a home run and five RBIs. Austin Riley also went deep, a welcome sight after a rough first half.
Then there was Victor Mederos, who delivered one of the night’s most memorable moments. The Braves reliever became the first Atlanta pitcher to record a hit since 2021, and he did it with authority.
Before the game, Walt Weiss offered updates on a few injured Braves, and the news came in different shades of optimism. Ronald Acuña Jr. is expected back before the end of the homestand.
He has been rehabbing in the Florida Complex League, and that assignment has now been moved to Gwinnett. Atlanta has two more games left against the Rangers before the Padres come to Truist Park, and then the Braves head to Baltimore next weekend.
The way Weiss described it, Acuña looks likely to travel with the club.
The outlook is less clear for Spencer Schwellenbach. The Braves had hoped he would already be throwing in Florida, but Weiss did not sound confident that timeline is happening yet. His return this season still appears very much up in the air.
Spencer Strider’s situation sounds even more bleak. After another elbow injury, a return this year has long been a stretch, and Weiss basically made it clear that 2027 is the more realistic target for seeing him back on the mound.
Asked whether it was fair to say Strider is done for the season and Schwellenbach is only a maybe, Weiss responded, “I wouldn’t say it’s inaccurate. I think there is a chance we see both of them this year.
But sitting here…”
In Other News...
Braves May Finally Have The Trade Match Fans Have Waited For
The Athletics are reportedly open for business on some of their outfielders, and the timing makes the idea worth watching from Atlantas side. Oaklands goal is straightforward enough, too: it wants young starting pitching in return, which is exactly the kind of currency the Braves have been able to stockpile while trying to patch a lineup that could still use more help in the outfield.
That overlap is what makes this feel more than just another deadline rumor. Atlanta has several young arms it could put into a deal, giving the front office a rare chance to turn pitching depth into a bat without stripping the roster bare, and the As willingness to listen keeps the door open. The question now is whether the Braves are ready to make that kind of move, and which arm they would be willing to part with if they do. [Read more 🡒]
Braves May Have Found A Rotation Fix With One Major Catch
The Braves are still hunting for starting pitching help, and the market is pointing them toward a familiar kind of target: a veteran arm with a track record of taking the ball and keeping a rotation steady. In that search, one possible fit stands out because of both his consistency and his reputation as a two-time All-Star, the kind of pitcher Atlanta could use if it wants more stability behind its top options.
The catch is that any conversation around him is likely to get complicated quickly. Recent pitcher trades with similar contract structures have already shown how hard it can be for clubs to line up on value, and that same issue could make negotiations between Atlanta and Kansas City tricky. If the Braves and Royals see the package differently, the talks could stall before they really get moving, which is why Atlanta may need to keep other rotation options in play. [Read more 🡒]
Braves Suddenly Got A More Encouraging Spencer Schwellenbach Update
The Braves got a more encouraging read on Spencer Schwellenbach after earlier skepticism around the injured pitching group, and that matters because every bit of rotation help feels significant with the season moving into its final stretch. Schwellenbachs rehab has continued in Florida, and the most recent update points toward him taking a meaningful next step soon, which at least keeps the door open for a late-season boost.
For Atlanta, the appeal is obvious: if Schwellenbach can get through a rehab assignment and build back up without setbacks, he would give the club another arm to lean on behind Chris Sale. A September return is still the best-case path, so there is no reason to treat this as a sure thing yet, but the tone around Schwellenbach has shifted enough to make him one of the more interesting names to watch in the coming weeks. [Read more 🡒]