The Dodgers’ next test is officially locked in, and it comes with a familiar name on the other side: the Atlanta Braves.
Los Angeles will open the 2026 National League Division Series against Atlanta on Saturday, setting up a rematch of the 2021 NL Championship Series. The Braves won that matchup in six games, and they earned another shot at the Dodgers by eliminating the Philadelphia Phillies in three games in the wild-card round.
These two clubs have spent the last half-decade as NL heavyweights, but they somehow haven’t crossed paths in the postseason over the last four years. Even so, the regular-season meetings gave plenty of recent evidence of how these teams match up. The Dodgers went 1-5 against the Braves this year, getting swept in Atlanta and dropping two of three at Dodger Stadium.
That history doesn’t seem to worry Max Muncy. Asked Tuesday on a Zoom call about the Dodgers’ struggles against top teams this season, the third baseman brushed off the idea that regular-season results mean much once October arrives.
“How many years have we seen it? In ’22, we beat the Padres something like 16 times in the regular season and then they beat us in the postseason.
It just doesn’t matter." Muncy said Tuesday on a Zoom call with reporters.
“You see it every single year where there’s a team that really struggled against another team and then they go out there and kind of just take it to them in the postseason. I know there are things you look at on paper where you say this is a good matchup, but in October it really doesn’t matter.”
The Dodgers have already seen that script play out. Last year, they were swept by the Milwaukee Brewers, 6-0, in the regular season. Then they turned around and swept Milwaukee, 4-0, in the NLCS.
Los Angeles has not yet announced its starting pitchers for the series, but the opening stretch is expected to take shape around the Braves’ recent pitching usage. Chris Sale, Atlanta’s top arm, threw 6.1 innings in Game 1 on Tuesday and then got the final four outs of Game 3 on Thursday, so his availability is still uncertain. Tyler Mahle, who pitched on Wednesday, looks like the most likely option for Game 3 unless Atlanta uses him on short rest in Game 2 on Sunday.
That leaves the Braves with some real decisions to make for Game 1, and possibly Game 2 as well.
The Dodgers, meanwhile, are expecting a healthier version of Shohei Ohtani and Freddie Freeman after the five-day layoff. They also appear poised to get right-hander Edgardo Henriquez back after he missed the final few weeks of the regular season with a back injury.
Atlanta’s return possibilities look much thinner. Lane Thomas is the only player who appears to have a shot at coming back for the NLDS after being sidelined since Sept. 7 with a left intercostal strain. Right-hander Bryce Elder, who is recovering from knee surgery, is not expected back before the NLCS.
In Other News...
Padres Just Left The Dodgers With A Brutal NLDS Opener
The Dodgers NLDS opener landed in an unwelcome spot almost as soon as San Diego finished off the Cubs in the Wild Card round. Instead of a prime-time atmosphere, Game 1 was pushed to a 1 p.m. local start under an extreme heat watch, with temperatures expected to climb to 101 degrees and humidity adding to the discomfort.
Dave Roberts made it clear he would have preferred a night game, and the concerns went beyond convenience. Player safety has been part of the conversation, and the scheduling shift came on the heels of the Padres sweep, even if the exact reason for the change still wasnt fully clear. For the Dodgers, it was one more layer of irritation before a matchup that already carried plenty of October pressure. [Read more 🡒]
Dodgers NLDS Opener Comes With A Stadium Twist Fans Will Notice
Dodger Stadium is getting a postseason menu refresh as the NLDS opens, with Levy rolling out a batch of new food items for fans coming through the gates. The additions are built for the kind of October crowd that likes to make an event out of every inning, and the list includes a Spam musubi dog, orange chicken fries, a colossal burger, a wing sampler, chicharron and guacamole, and a churro waffle ice cream sandwich.
The new offerings will be available for all NLDS games, and there is at least a chance they stick around into the NL Championship Series if the Dodgers keep advancing. For fans, it adds another layer to a postseason atmosphere that already comes with plenty to track, from the action on the field to what ends up in hand during the long nights at Chavez Ravine. [Read more 🡒]
Dodgers Braves NLDS Opens With One Huge Pitching Question
The National League Division Series gets underway Saturday at Dodger Stadium, and for the Dodgers the first layer of strategy comes before the first pitch is even thrown. Atlanta arrives fresh off a wild-card sweep of the Phillies, while Los Angeles had the benefit of a bye, giving both sides a different kind of edge as the matchup shifts from survival baseball to a best-of-five series.
Chris Sales status for the opener is the biggest pitching question hanging over the matchup, with his recent workload creating real uncertainty for the Braves. From the Dodgers side, the bye gives them some flexibility in how they line up their own rotation for Game 1, a small but meaningful advantage in a series where every decision around the mound could shape the tone early. [Read more 🡒]