MARCH 21, 2023•AJC.COM
One theme from recent Braves moves: Depth, depth, depthIn one announcement, the Atlanta Braves’ opening-day roster came into clear focus. The Braves answered the questions we had in the final wee...
Matt Olson - Slugs sixth spring homerOlson went 2-for-4 with a home run and two RBI in Monday's Grapefruit League game against the Rays.
ImpactThe 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 springYates walked one and struck out one in a scoreless seventh inning during Monday's Grapefruit League game against the Rays.
ImpactThe 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 MondayMinter gave up two hits and struck out one in a scoreless ninth inning during Monday's Grapefruit League game against the Rays.
ImpactNot 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 debutWright 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.
ImpactSeeing 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 returnAcuna 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...
ImpactThe 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 priorityGrissom will see action at both shortstop and second base for Triple-A Gwinnett, David O'Brien of The Athletic reports.
ImpactAtlanta 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
