ATLANTA BRAVES NEWS

Joe Jiménez - Option for saves in Atlanta Jimenez might get some save opportunities with Atlanta while Raisel Iglesias (shoulder) is out.

Impact A.J. Minter might be ahead of Jimenez in the pecking order, especially since Jimenez has been eased into things this spring following offseason back surgery. The former Tiger is considered healthy now, though, and was terrific in 2022 with a 3.49 ERA, 1.09 WHIP and 77:13 K:BB over 56.2 frames. It's possible Atlanta doesn't settle on one closer while Iglesias is on the shelf.

MARCH 23, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

A.J. Minter - Could fill in at closer Raisel Iglesias was diagnosed with low-grade shoulder inflammation Thursday and will begin the season on the injured list, Mark Bowman of MLB.com reports, and Minter could be in li...

Impact Iglesias will be shut down for at least the next week while he deals with the shoulder issue. Minter has had a rough spring but remains the probable fill-in option for Iglesias after posting a brilliant 2.06 ERA, 0.91 WHIP and 94:15 K:BB over 70 innings during 2022. Joe Jimenez is also a candidate.

MARCH 23, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

Raisel Iglesias - Bound for IL with sore shoulder Iglesias will begin the season on the injured list after he was diagnosed with low-grade inflammation in his right shoulder Thursday, Mark Bowman of MLB.com reports.

Impact It seems relatively minor as far as shoulder injuries go, but Iglesias will be shut down from throwing for at least seven days in hopes that the soreness clears up. That would seem to indicate Iglesias could be sidelined for several weeks, though his return timeline at this point remains unclear. A.J. Minter and Joe Jimenez are candidates to fill Atlanta's closer role while Iglesias is on the shelf.

MARCH 23, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

Which team has MLB's best lineup? Astros, Braves among top candidates

Which MLB team has the best lineup in the game? The FOX Sports baseball staff weighed in with their picks.

MARCH 23, 2023

Photos: Mike Soroka pitches, Orlando Arcia homers in Braves spring game Photos from the Braves' spring game against the Tigers on March 22, 2023.

MARCH 22, 2023 • AJC.COM

Michael Soroka happy to pitch, but not celebrating his Grapefruit League debut LAKELAND, Fla. — Technically, Michael Soroka did not “return” Wednesday. He pitched last season and expected to enter spring training fully...

MARCH 22, 2023 • AJC.COM

Miguel Cabrera hustles to score in Detroit Tigers' 5-3 loss to Atlanta Braves in spring training The Detroit Tigers lost to the Atlanta Braves, 5-3, on Wednesday at Publix Field at Joker Marchant Stadium. The Tigers are 12-14 in Grapefru...

MARCH 22, 2023 • FREEP.COM

Braves' Orlando Arcia on shortstop job: 'I feel very grateful for this opportunity' LAKELAND, Fla. — All along, as the attention turned toward Vaughn Grissom and then Braden Shewmake, Orlando Arcia continued to work. Over th...

MARCH 22, 2023 • AJC.COM

Mike Soroka - No timetable for MLB return Atlanta manager Brian Snitker told reporters that Soroka (hamstring) is likely to go a couple of innings during Wednesday's Grapefruit League start against the Tigers, David O'Brie...

Impact Soroka is making his spring debut after missing the first three-plus weeks of Grapefruit League games while recovering from a right hamstring strain. The right-hander will likely throw only a pair of innings in this outing, and Snitker cautioned that there is no timetable for when he'll be ready to return to the mound with Atlanta taking a start-by-start approach with the hurler until he's built up to handle a starting role. Soroka showed great promise in the beginning of his career, but managers should take a wait-and-see approach with Soroka in redraft formats.

MARCH 22, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

Apple TV+ announces 2nd season of 'Friday Night Baseball'

Apple TV+ will begin its second season of “Friday Night Baseball” on April 7

MARCH 22, 2023 • ASSOCIATED PRESS

Projected Braves' Opening Day roster: A new look after a flurry of moves Things changed after team officials agreed that neither Vaughn Grissom nor Braden Shewmake was a finished product at shortstop.

MARCH 21, 2023 • THEATHLETIC.COM

One theme from recent Braves moves: Depth, depth, depth In one announcement, the Atlanta Braves’ opening-day roster came into clear focus. The Braves answered the questions we had in the final wee...

MARCH 21, 2023 • AJC.COM

Matt Olson - Slugs sixth spring homer Olson went 2-for-4 with a home run and two RBI in Monday's Grapefruit League game against the Rays.

Impact The first baseman took Zach Eflin deep in the third inning, giving Olson six homers on the spring to lead all hitters, in either Florida or Arizona. His 1.549 OPS is also second among players with at least 30 at-bats, behind only the Phillies' Edmundo Sosa. Tiny samples aside, Olson has launched more than 30 homers in each of the last three full MLB seasons and topped 100 RBI in the last two campaigns. The 28-year-old already appears locked in at the plate ahead of Opening Day.

MARCH 21, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

Kirby Yates - Getting Ks this spring Yates walked one and struck out one in a scoreless seventh inning during Monday's Grapefruit League game against the Rays.

Impact The veteran reliever has thrown only 11.1 big-league innings over the last three seasons due to various injuries, including Tommy John surgery two years ago, but he's been healthy in camp as he attempts to make a comeback. Yates has served up two homers in six innings, leading to a 9.00 spring ERA, but his 8:2 K:BB indicates he's still got the ability to miss bats. The 35-year-old is ticketed for middle-relief duty in a crowded Atlanta bullpen that already has A.J. Minter and Joe Jimenez locked into setup roles in front of closer Raisel Iglesias, but Yates could still have some fantasy value in deeper formats if he's able to recapture something close to his pre-injury form.

MARCH 21, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

A.J. Minter - Clean outing Monday Minter gave up two hits and struck out one in a scoreless ninth inning during Monday's Grapefruit League game against the Rays.

Impact Not that it means much, but Minter did pick up the save. The southpaw will be one of Raisel Iglesias' primary setup men this season and one of the top high-leverage options in the Atlanta bullpen, and in that role in 2022, Minter piled up a league-leading 35 holds with five wins and five saves in addition to his stellar 2.06 ERA, 0.91 WHIP and 34.7 percent strikeout rate.

MARCH 21, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

Kyle Wright - Bumpy spring debut Wright gave up four runs on five hits over 2.2 innings in Monday's Grapefruit League game against the Rays. He didn't walk or strike out a batter.

Impact Seeing his first game action of the spring after recovering from a shoulder issue, Wright got taken deep by Brandon Lowe in the first inning and Yandy Diaz in the second, but per Mark Bowman of MLB.com the right-hander's fastball touched 95 mph and he felt fine afterward. Wright will make one more Grapefruit League start before working a simulated game against minor-leaguers after camp breaks, and if he avoids any setbacks he won't miss a turn in the rotation to begin the season, although his workload could be capped in his first start.

MARCH 21, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

Ronald Acuña Jr. - Targeting Thursday return Acuna hasn't yet spoken to Atlanta manager Brian Snitker since Venezuela was eliminated from the WBC, but the team expects him to be in the Grapefruit League lineup Thursday agains...

Impact The 25-year-old went 4-for-18 during five WBC games with a double and three steals. Acuna posted a career-low .764 OPS in 2022 over 119 games as he made his return from ACL surgery, but the main issue was his launch angle, not his ability to crush the ball. A 30-30 season, or even better, is entirely plausible for Acuna if he stays healthy.

MARCH 21, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

Vaughn Grissom - Defense at short remains priority Grissom will see action at both shortstop and second base for Triple-A Gwinnett, David O'Brien of The Athletic reports.

Impact Atlanta wants Grissom to keep working on his defense at shortstop but also wants Braden Shewmake to show that his improved hitting in camp wasn't a small-sample fluke, so the solution will be for both to start every day at Gwinnett but rotate where they play out in the field. Orlando Arcia's starting assignment at shortstop in the majors seems fairly tenuous, so if either prospect gets off to a hot start at Triple-A and seems ready to handle a full-time gig in the majors, a quick promotion remains very possible. Grissom did display progress with his glove in camp under the tutelage of Ron Washington and went 13-for-35 (.371) at the plate with a 2:4 BB:K, and he remains the most likely long-term solution for the club at shortstop.

MARCH 21, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

Braden Shewmake - Will play both middle infield spots Shewmake will see action at both shortstop and second base for Triple-A Gwinnett, David O'Brien of The Athletic reports.

Impact Atlanta wants Shewmake to keep working on his hitting but also wants Vaughn Grissom to keep working on his defense at shortstop, so the solution will be for both to start every day at Gwinnett but rotate where they play out in the field. Orlando Arcia's starting assignment at shortstop in the majors seems fairly tenuous, so if either prospect gets off to a hot start at Triple-A and seems ready to handle a full-time gig in the majors, a quick promotion remains very possible. Shewmake opened some eyes in spring training by going 10-for-31 (.323) during Grapefruit League play while flashing strong glovework at short, but his career numbers at the plate coming into 2023 suggest his ceiling might be that of a big-league utility player.

MARCH 21, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

Ehire Adrianza - Opening year in utility role Adrianza will begin the season as Atlanta's primary utility infielder.

Impact The decision to send both Vaughn Grissom and Braden Shewmake to Triple-A Gwinnett was in part prompted by the team's desire to have maximum middle infield depth, which means (eventually) adding Adrianza to the 40-man roster and keeping him on the big-league bench rather than letting him go. The 33-year-old switch hitter saw time at second base, third base, shortstop and left field in 2022, but his .470 OPS over 110 plate appearances between Atlanta and the Nationals -- the second time in the last three seasons he's posted a sub-.600 OPS -- doesn't exactly suggest he would have been hard to replace. If Orlando Arcia gets replaced as the starting shortstop by either Shewmake or Grissom, he would presumably take Adrianza's utility role and bump him to the waiver wire.

MARCH 21, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

Progress report: Atlanta Braves Sizing up the Atlanta Braves ahead of the 2023 season

MARCH 21, 2023 • SANDIEGOUNIONTRIBUNE.COM

Braves appear to hand shortstop job to Orlando Arcia The Atlanta Braves cleared the way for Orlando Arcia to serve as their regular shortstop, optioning Vaughn Grissom and Braden Shewmake to Tr...

MARCH 21, 2023 • NEWSOBSERVER.COM