Tyler Mahle has only made two starts in a Braves uniform, but both have looked like exactly the kind of outings Atlanta was hoping to get. Each time out, he has gone 6.0 innings and piled up strong strikeout totals, and both performances have ranked among the best Braves starts this season outside of Chris Sale.
The biggest shift showing up in Mahle’s profile is easy to spot: the Braves have cut way back on his cutter usage and leaned more heavily on his four-seamer and splitter. There’s also a chance they’ve lowered his arm angle, though that part is less obvious when you look at the season-long trends. If this is the version of Mahle Atlanta has unlocked, that’s a major win for the Braves and a nice feather in Jeremy Hefner’s cap.
Atlanta has also handled the defensive side of ABS well, even with plenty of frustration around its ABS awareness. That has been a bright spot for a club that has drawn its share of angst in that area.
Mahle’s latest gem helped the Braves take another series from the Mets, pushing the division lead to 9.5 games in mid-August and leaving Atlanta just 1.0 game behind Milwaukee for the NL’s No. 1 seed.
Elsewhere around baseball, Rays outfielder Yandy Diaz reached the threshold to lock in his vesting option and a salary bump in the final year of his contract, with Tampa Bay owning the best record in baseball.
And in another notable move, the Red Sox sent one of their top prospects, Harold Rivas, to the Orioles as a player to be named later in the Adley Rutschman trade.
In Other News...
Braves Could Push For A Star Shortstop Rival Fans Would Hate
The Braves are already being connected to one of the more intriguing offseason questions on the market, and shortstop sits near the center of it. Atlanta has a chance to look for an upgrade there, and the kind of player who could move the needle is the sort who usually costs real prospect capital and then some. In division deals have never been the norm, but they have become more common lately, which is why this conversation has at least some traction.
One name hovering around that search is a young shortstop who could become available if his current club cannot lock him up long term. For Atlanta, the appeal is obvious: a chance to target a player with upside at a position of need, even if doing so would mean dealing with a rival and putting together a package strong enough to make them listen. It is the kind of possibility that can reshape the rest of the winter if the Braves decide to press hard enough. [Read more 🡒]
Braves Injured Starters Are Progressing But One Return Loos Large
The Braves finally have some movement on the pitching injury front, even if the updates come with plenty of caution attached. Spencer Strider and Hurston Waldrep, both sidelined by elbow inflammation, have avoided surgery and have started throwing programs, while Spencer Schwellenbach has begun bullpen work as he tries to build back toward a possible return this season.
Reynaldo Lopez may be the most immediate name to watch, which matters for a staff that has spent too much time piecing things together. He is recovering from knee inflammation and appears closest to coming back, with the Braves also considering using him out of the bullpen instead of sending him straight back into the starting rotation. [Read more 🡒]
Reynaldo Lpez Could Force A Braves Pitching Decision That Changes Everything
The Braves are entering the kind of pitching puzzle teams usually hope to have in September, when injured arms start filtering back and the staff begins to take shape for October. Reynaldo Lpez is right in the middle of it after a recent bullpen session, and Atlanta is weighing how best to use him as the rotation picture gets more crowded with pitchers returning and the postseason roster coming into focus.
Lpez remains a name to watch because the Braves still have to decide whether his next value comes from starting games or helping out of the bullpen, and that choice could ripple through the rest of the staff. AJ Smith-Shawver has also reinserted himself into the conversation after a strong rehab outing with Gwinnett, while Spencer Schwellenbach is another piece the Braves are evaluating as they try to sort out who fits where when the games matter most. [Read more 🡒]