JUNE 29, 2022 • STAR-TELEGRAM.COM
ATLANTA BRAVES 89-73 · 2ND IN NL EAST
89-73 · 2ND IN NL EAST
Despite Late Rally, Phillies Drop First Against Braves The Philadelphia Phillies dropped the first of three in series with the Atlanta Braves.
Braves vs. Phillies prediction, betting odds for MLB on Wednesday The Philadelphia Phillies square off with the Atlanta Braves in MLB on Wednesday. This preview is based on 10,000 simulations of the game.
JUNE 29, 2022 • PENNLIVE.COM
Atlanta Braves and Philadelphia Phillies meet in game 2 of series
The Atlanta Braves bring a 1-0 lead into the next game of the series against the Philadelphia PhilliesJUNE 29, 2022 • ASSOCIATED PRESS
Travis d'Arnaud - Mashes 11th homer D'Arnaud went 2-for-4 with a home run and two RBI in Tuesday's 5-3 win over the Phillies.
Impact He got Atlanta on the board with a solo shot off Zack Wheeler in the first inning, then added an RBI single in the third. The veteran catcher has hit safely in seven straight games as he fends off William Contreras' challenge for his starting job behind the plate, and d'Arnaud is batting .328 (20-for-61) in June with seven of his 11 homers on the year.
JUNE 29, 2022 • ROTOWIRE
Matt Olson - Goes yard twice in win Olson went 2-for-4 with two solo home runs in Tuesday's 5-3 win over the Phillies.
Impact He went back-to-back with Travis d'Arnaud in the first inning off Zack Wheeler to give Atlanta an early 2-0 lead, but it was Olson's blast off Andrew Bellatti in the eighth that provided the decisive run. The first baseman has two two-homer games in the last week, but they are his only long balls since June 13. On the season, Olson is batting .253 with 12 home runs and 42 RBI through 75 contests.
JUNE 29, 2022 • ROTOWIRE
A.J. Minter - Notches first save of year Minter struck out one in a perfect ninth inning Tuesday to record his first save of the season in a 5-3 win over the Phillies.
Impact With Kenley Jansen out of commission due to an irregular heartbeat, Atlanta will turn to its top two setup men in Will Smith and Minter to handle closing duties. The latter got the first crack at an opportunity, but it's not yet clear whether he will be the primary option for saves as Smith had pitched on four of the prior six days, and Minter may have simply been the fresher arm. The 28-year-old has done nothing this season to suggest he can't handle high-leverage spots, however, riding his high 90s fastball and plus cutter to a 1.64 ERA, 0.79 WHIP and 44:5 K:BB through 33 innings.
JUNE 29, 2022 • ROTOWIRE
Charlie Morton - Falls short of quality start Morton didn't factor into the decision in Tuesday's 5-3 win over the Phillies, allowing two runs on seven hits and four walks over 5.2 innings. He struck out five.
Impact The veteran right-hander ran up his pitch count by tying his season high in free passes and fell one out short of his third straight quality start, exiting after 102 pitches (61 strikes) with Atlanta ahead 3-2. Morton was denied his fifth win of the year when Dylan Lee stumbled in the seventh, however. Morton wraps up a June resurgence that has seen him post a 3.52 ERA, 1.04 WHIP and 45:8 K:BB through 30.2 innings over his last five starts.
JUNE 29, 2022 • ROTOWIRE
Bullpen deflates Phils in 5-3 loss to Braves The Philadelphia Phillies' bullpen let them down again, as the Phillies gave up two late runs in a 5-3 loss against the Atlanta Braves.
JUNE 29, 2022 • MCALL.COM
Olson homers twice to lead Braves past Phillies 5-3
Matt Olson homered twice and Travis d’Arnaud also went deep to lift the Atlanta Braves to a 5-3 victory over the Philadelphia PhilliesJUNE 29, 2022 • ASSOCIATED PRESS
LEADING OFF: Scherzer makes rehab start, Ohtani vs Chisox
Mets ace Max Scherzer will make a minor league rehab start for Double-A Binghamton on WednesdayJUNE 28, 2022 • ASSOCIATED PRESS
Ronald Acuña Jr. - Away for treatment Acuna (foot) remained in Atlanta for treatment while his teammates travelled to Philadelphia on Tuesday, Justin Toscano of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.
Impact Acuna left Saturday's game against the Dodgers after fouling a ball off his foot and will miss at least two games. While he avoided a fracture, his expected return date is unclear, and this latest report indicates that the issue is serious enough for him to remain home for extra treatment. Manager Brian Snitker indicated his star outfielder could be back with his teammates as soon as Wednesday, however.
JUNE 28, 2022 • ROTOWIRE
Braves put closer Jansen on IL due to irregular heartbeat
Atlanta Braves closer Kenley Jansen has been put on the 15-day injured list because of an irregular heartbeatJUNE 28, 2022 • ASSOCIATED PRESS
Freddie Freeman reportedly fires agents days after Atlanta return
Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw hopes that Freddie Freeman has come to grips with his move from Atlanta.JUNE 28, 2022
Freddie Freeman reportedly considers changing agents after emotional series vs. Braves in Atlanta, rankling Dodgers teammates Freddie Freeman returning to Atlanta to play the Braves was one of the more emotional homecomings in recent baseball history.
JUNE 28, 2022 • SPORTINGNEWS.COM
Braves place closer Kenley Jansen on injured list with irregular heartbeat ATLANTA — As they move toward the All-Star break, the Braves will be without their closer.
JUNE 28, 2022 • NEWSOBSERVER.COM
William Contreras - Idle Tuesday Contreras is out of the lineup for Tuesday's game against the Phillies, David O'Brien of The Athletic reports.
Impact Even though Ronald Acuna (foot) will miss his second straight game, Contreras will take a seat for the series opener in Philadelphia while manager Brian Snitker hands Mike Ford his first start as a member of Atlanta. While serving as a designated hitter or catcher in four of the past five games, Contreras went 1-for-14 with three walks, a stolen base, one RBI and one run.
JUNE 28, 2022 • ROTOWIRE
Ronald Acuña Jr. - Won't start Tuesday Acuna (foot) is out of the lineup for Tuesday's game against the Phillies.
Impact Even after an off day Monday, Acuna's absence from the lineup for a second straight game comes as no major surprise after he was using a medical scooter to get around the Atlanta clubhouse during Sunday's series finale with the Dodgers. Acuna fouled a ball off his left foot in Saturday's 5-3 win and avoided a fracture, but he's not yet putting much pressure on the bruised foot and could require a trip to the 10-day injured list. Atlanta may want to wait and see how much progress Acuna makes, if any, over the next day or two before determining if he'll need to go on the IL. Mike Ford will enter the lineup in Acuna's stead Tuesday.
JUNE 28, 2022 • ROTOWIRE
MLB Power Rankings: Red Sox crack top 10, Astros ascend
The Yankees are still the best team in baseball, but the Astros are making things interesting, Ben Verlander writes in this week's MLB Power...JUNE 28, 2022
Braves place Kenley Jansen on IR with irregular heartbeat
Braves reliever Kenley Jansen has been placed on the 15-day injured list with an irregular heartbeat.JUNE 28, 2022
Braves Place Kenley Jansen on IL With Irregular Heartbeat The 34-year-old reliever previously underwent corrective heart surgery in 2018.
JUNE 28, 2022 • STAR-TELEGRAM.COM
Kenley Jansen - Team hoping for brief IL stint Jansen will still be able to throw bullpen sessions even after landing on the 15-day injured list Tuesday due to an irregular heartbeat, leaving Atlanta optimistic that he'll be re...
Impact Jansen was first diagnosed with the irregular heartbeat in 2011 and missed time that season, as well as during the 2012 and 2018 campaigns after experiencing recurrences of the cardiac issue. When he was most recently sidelined with an irregular heartbeat in 2018, Jansen missed the minimum amount of time when MLB had a 10-day IL in place, and since he'll be able to keep throwing while he's on the shelf, Atlanta is hopeful the 34-year-old has a similarly brief absence this time around. While Jansen is out, Atlanta will likely turn to either A.J. Minter or Will Smith for save situations.
JUNE 28, 2022 • ROTOWIRE
A.J. Minter - Could be closer candidate Minter and Will Smith are viewed as the top candidates to pick up saves for Atlanta after closer Kenley Jansen was placed on the 15-day injured list Tuesday due to an irregular hea...
Impact Jansen has previously missed action during the 2011, 2012 and 2018 seasons on account of cardiac issues, so he'll likely need medical clearance from doctors before making his return from the IL following his latest recurrence of an irregular heartbeat. According to Justin Toscano of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Jansen will still able to throw bullpen sessions while he's on the shelf, leaving Atlanta optimistic that he'll be sidelined for only a brief period of time. However long Jansen is out, Minter could be thrust into the closer mix, even though Smith has more experience in the role and is coming off a 37-save campaign in 2021. However, with Smith's effectiveness having waned as he's moved into more of a setup role in 2022, manager Brian Snitker could be inclined to give a look in the ninth inning to Minter, who has arguably been Atlanta's best reliever this season. The lefty sports an outstanding 1.69 ERA and supports it with strong peripherals (31.7 K-BB%, 1.92 SIERA). He's also held his own against right-handed hitters, who have slashed a collective .238/.279/.338 against him while striking out 30 times in 87 plate appearances (34.4 percent).
JUNE 28, 2022 • ROTOWIRE
Will Smith - Could close while Jansen is out Smith and A.J. Minter are viewed as the top candidates to pick up saves for Atlanta after closer Kenley Jansen was placed on the 15-day injured list Tuesday due to an irregular hea...
Impact Jansen has previously missed action during the 2011, 2012 and 2018 season on account of cardiac issues, so he'll likely need medical clearance from doctors before making his return from the IL following his latest recurrence of an irregular heartbeat. According to Justin Toscano of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Jansen will still able to throw bullpen sessions while he's on the shelf, leaving Atlanta optimistic that he'll be sidelined for only a brief period of time. Before Atlanta signed Jansen this winter, Smith was coming off a 37-save campaign, but his effectiveness has waned while he's moved into a setup role in 2022. Though he's still managed to pick up two saves this season, Smith has seen a sharp downturn in his strikeout rate and an uptick in his walk rate, with his 11.7 K-BB% representing his worse mark since 2012. That downturn in performance may not make Smith the clear top candidate for the closer's role, despite his ample experience in the ninth inning. Minter, meanwhile, has arguably been Atlanta's best reliever this season, as he sports an outstanding 1.69 ERA and supports it with strong peripherals (31.7 K-BB%, 1.92 SIERA). Manager Brian Snitker has yet to reveal whether Smith or Minter will close games while Jansen is out, or if Atlanta will take more of a committee approach to save situations.
JUNE 28, 2022 • ROTOWIRE
Jansen to IL with irregular heartbeat The Braves placed closer Kenley Jansen on the 15-day injured list with an irregular heartbeat on Tuesday, backdated to June 27. The club rec...
JUNE 28, 2022 • MLB.COM
Jesús Cruz - Returns to majors Cruz was recalled by Atlanta on Tuesday.
Impact Cruz was optioned eight days ago but is needed again with Kenley Jansen (heart) hitting the injured list. During his previous stint in the big-league bullpen, Cruz allowed one run in six innings of work.
JUNE 28, 2022 • ROTOWIRE
