Braves: The only things worth monitoring down the stretch

There aren’t many reasons to tune into the Braves every night, but if we squint hard enough, there are a few notable storylines to watch down the stretch.

The MASH unit

Ronald Acuna Jr., Austin Riley, Spencer Schwellenbach, Chris Sale, Reynaldo Lopez, Grant Holmes, and Joe Jimenez are all dealing with injuries.

Holmes isn’t going to pitch again this season and could need offseason surgery, which would keep him out for all of 2026 as well. Spencer Schwellenbach and Reynaldo Lopez could theoretically return, but neither of them have even started throwing bullpens. It seems foolish to rush either back for some meaningless games at the end of the season.

Acuna and Sale look like they’re going to return at some point, which at least provides a reason to tune in over the final month or so. Fans might be uneasy about them playing, and I sympathize with those concerns, but if they’re fully healthy, let the Ferraris out of the garage.

Riley and Jimenez are new developments. The Braves’ third baseman reinjured his abdominal muscle, and Jimenez had a setback with his knee that underwent surgery last offseason. Given this is the second time in the last month Riley has hit the IL with the same injury, the Braves could very easily shut him down. Jimenez has already been shut down and won’t pitch again this year.

The resurgence of stars

I would’ve included Austin Riley in this section, but now it’s just Ozzie Albies and Michael Harris II.

Albies has lost all semblance of his power. Entering the All-Star break, he boasted a putrid .606 OPS, due in large part to his lack of slugging. But in the 16 games since the All-Star break entering Tuesday’s game against the Brewers, Albies is sporting a .793 OPS with four extra-base hits, two of which were home runs. He has also drawn 11 walks compared to 12 strikeouts. The Braves’ fun-loving second baseman could be playing for his job down the stretch.

Harris’ improvements have been even more dramatic. The former Rookie of the Year touted a .551 OPS entering the break and has raised it by about 80 points thanks to a 16-game stretch in which Harris has belted three home runs, three triples, and three doubles — good for an OPS north of 1.000. An adjustment at the plate has resulted in this resurgence, and the Braves desperately need their centerfielder to bounce back down the stretch and into 2026 because he’s under contract much further into the future than Albies.

The possible emergence of future contributors

The Braves have a slew of young talent that could provide an impact in 2026. Hurston Waldrep impressed in his 2025 debut in the Speedway Classic. Nacho Alvarez will get another extended look with Riley on the IL. Hayden Harris and Jhancarlos Lara could also make their debuts in 2025 and potentially make a case for an Opening Day roster spot in 2026. If a couple of those guys can prove major-league ready, it would ease some concerns about the state of the club going into the offseason.

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Photo: Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire

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