The Braves have spent the first week or so after the All-Star break looking like a club that can still control the NL East, winning five of their first seven games in the second half. But even with that strong burst, the roster picture hasn’t changed much: Atlanta still looks like a team headed for multiple deadline additions, and that means some current 40-man names are going to get squeezed out.
A few players are already sitting on shaky ground, and by the 2026 trade deadline, they could be looking for work elsewhere.
Dominic Smith is the clearest example. He gave Atlanta a jolt with a huge home run in the series finale against the San Diego Padres, but that one swing doesn’t erase what’s been a rough month and a half at the plate.
Entering Thursday’s game, Smith was hitting .181/.273/.234 with only three extra-base hits. His -0.9 fWAR ranked fourth-worst among position players with at least 100 plate appearances.
And this wasn’t just bad luck catching up to him - his .245 xwOBA during that stretch was only a touch better than his .233 wOBA, which says the underlying contact matched the results. With Ronald Acuña Jr. expected back soon and Smith offering little in the way of defensive flexibility, he may not even last through the next road trip.
Elieser Hernández is in an even more precarious spot, if only because his role has been so limited. The former Marlins right-hander was added to the 26-man roster on July 19 and still hasn’t thrown an inning for Atlanta. Before the call-up, he posted a 4.83 ERA with the Triple-A Stripers, and the Braves’ decision to bring him up was clearly about having a fresh arm available in case they needed someone to soak up innings in a blowout.
Joey Bart has been a better answer behind the plate than Sandy León or Chadwick Tromp, but that’s a pretty low bar, and the numbers still haven’t been kind. Atlanta picked him up from the Pirates in mid-June to stabilize the backup catcher spot, and while he’s done better than the previous options, he’s still only slashing .139/.279/.361 with the Braves.
Sean Murphy has started a rehab assignment, and once he’s ready, there won’t be much room left for Bart. Because Bart is out of options, the Braves would have to DFA the 29-year-old.
Jorge Mateo looked like a useful spark when he first arrived in Atlanta, but that early burst has faded fast. Since June, he has only six hits in 51 plate appearances.
That’s a steep drop-off, even if his speed and defense remain above average. The timing makes things worse for him, too.
Jim Jarvis has emerged, Ha-Seong Kim’s rehab assignment is nearly finished, and with the trade deadline approaching, Mateo’s roster spot is suddenly very vulnerable.
In Other News...
Braves Face A Frustrating Roster Choice They Cant Avoid Much Longer
Ronald Acua Jr. is expected back from the injured list soon, and that means the Braves are staring at one of those roster decisions every contender would rather avoid. A healthy Acua changes the shape of the lineup immediately, but it also forces Atlanta to clear a spot, with Brewer Hicklen, Eli White and Dom Smith among the names in the mix as the club sorts through fit, flexibility and the value each player brings in a crowded room.
Smith has given the Braves some offense earlier this season, but his recent stretch has made the conversation more complicated, especially because he does not offer the same defensive versatility as some of the other options. Hicklen can be sent to the minors if Atlanta wants the simplest path, and Smiths presence in the clubhouse could still matter to a team trying to keep its edge while waiting for Acua to return, which is why this decision may take a little longer than the Braves would like. [Read more 🡒]
Braves May Be Eyeing A Familiar Fix For Their Rotation Trouble
As the trade deadline approaches, the Braves are still looking for help in the rotation, and one familiar name has surfaced as a possible fit. The appeal is easy to see: a veteran starter in the final year of his contract, postseason-tested and already known to the organization, which matters when a contender is trying to add without emptying the farm system.
The wrinkle is whether Toronto actually decides to sell, because that choice will determine how far this possibility goes. If the Blue Jays do make him available, Atlanta would have a realistic path to a reunion with a pitcher who checks a lot of boxes for a club trying to steady its staff for the stretch run. [Read more 🡒]
Braves Shortstop Void Suddenly Has Two Prospects Forcing The Issue
The Braves search for a long-term answer at shortstop has started to look a lot more interesting in the lower minors. Tate Southisene, the clubs first-round pick in 2025, has moved through Low-A and High-A with the kind of all-around production that gets attention fast, pairing power and speed in a way that stands out even before the scouting reports catch up. Hes also been productive against a wide range of pitch types, which helps explain why some prospect outlets already view him as one of the best young players in the organization.
Alex Lodise has made the picture even busier. The second-round pick has taken a big step forward at the plate, reaching 20 home runs with an .822 OPS and putting himself in line for a promotion to High-A Rome soon. For a Braves system that has been looking for more certainty up the middle, the timing matters almost as much as the numbers, because two infielders are now making a case at the same time and forcing the club to sort out just how quickly each one should move. [Read more 🡒]