<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/atlanta-braves/braves-news-atlanta-gets-important-reynaldo-lopez-injury-update');   ga('set', 'title', 'Braves get important Reynaldo López injury update');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Reynaldo-Lopez.jpg"><figcaption>© Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Braves get important Reynaldo López injury update</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-12T16:16:15-07:00">September 12th, 4:16pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-12T16:16:15-07:00">September 12th, 4:16pm</time><address><a>Guillermo Guajardo</a>Guillermo Guajardo is a dynamic sports presenter with experience on various television channels and digital platforms, most recently with A Tiempo.TV. He is also a multidisciplinary artist with 10 years of experience in acting, directing, writing, and hosting. His work in film has been recognized at international festivals, earning awards for both his performances and directorial projects.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Atlanta Braves</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Atlanta Braves received encouraging news this week as right-hander <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/atlanta-braves/braves-news-all-star-pitcher-injury-timetable-shoulder-surgery">Reynaldo López continues working toward a full return following shoulder surgery.</a> López threw off a mound for the second time since the procedure, tossing 20 pitches<a href="https://x.com/DOBrienATL/status/1966596314596077842" rel="noopener"> in a bullpen session,</a> and later noted that for the first time in years, he is completely pain-free.</p><p>The 31-year-old missed nearly the entire season after being shut down with right shoulder inflammation following his first start. Arthroscopic surgery revealed no structural damage, but it required a 12-week recovery process that prematurely ended his 2025 campaign. López admitted the shoulder had bothered him for several years, but emphasized that the discomfort is now gone.</p><p>Manager Brian Snitker praised the progress, explaining that López <a href="https://www.si.com/mlb/braves/news/atlanta-braves-reynaldo-lopez-feeling-good-progressing-toward-live-bp" rel="noopener">is scheduled for five more bullpen sessions</a> before facing live hitters.</p><p>“He’s another one that’s been through a lot all year,” Snitker said according to Sports Illustrated. The expectation is that he can approach the offseason preparing as usual rather than facing another lengthy rehab.</p><p>The Braves plan to keep López on a steady build-up, possibly shifting workouts to their Florida complex before live batting practice. López has expressed a preference to return as a starter, but said he is willing to take on whatever role the team asks. That flexibility could prove useful for a rotation that features several arms at different stages of recovery.</p><p>It was a frustrating setback after he posted a 1.99 ERA across 26 games (25 starts) last year, establishing himself as one of Atlanta’s most reliable rotation pieces.</p><p>Other injured pitchers in the organization are also working toward returns, though López was the only one with a concrete update this week. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/atlanta-braves/braves-news-grant-holmes-avoids-tommy-john-surgery">Grant Holmes has resumed throwing</a> as he recovers from a partial UCL tear, while Spencer Schwellenbach’s ramp-up plan has yet to be finalized. With the rise of Hurston Waldrep, the Braves could face strong competition for rotation spots once everyone is healthy.</p><p>For López, the immediate focus is sticking to the plan through his bullpen sessions. If the progress continues, Atlanta can head into the offseason optimistic about having him fully available for spring training in 2026.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Braves get important Reynaldo López injury update

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/atlanta-braves/braves-news-atlanta-pitcher-daysbel-hernandez-il-shoulder-injury');   ga('set', 'title', 'Braves place pitcher on IL with shoulder injury');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Daysbel-Hernandez-pitches-against-the-Phillies.jpg"><figcaption>Eric Hartline-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Braves place pitcher on IL with shoulder injury</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-12T08:45:36-07:00">September 12th, 8:45am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-12T08:45:36-07:00">September 12th, 8:45am</time><address><a href="https://www.facebook.com/joey.mistretta/" rel="facebook">Joey Mistretta</a>Joey Mistretta is a Dallas Mavericks beat reporter, Dallas Wings beat reporter and lead MLB editor for ClutchPoints. He is originally from Lake Arrowhead, California. Mistretta graduated from Biola University with a degree in broadcast journalism.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Atlanta Braves</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Atlanta Braves <a href="https://x.com/Braves/status/1966519666823540952" rel="noopener">placed relief pitcher</a> Daysbel Hernandez on the 15-day injured list on Friday, the team announced. The move is backdated to September 9. Additionally, pitcher Hunter Stratton was recalled from Triple-A.</p><p>“The #Braves today recalled RHP Hunter Stratton to Atlanta and placed RHP Daysbel Hernández on the 15-day injured list, backdated to September 9, with right shoulder inflammation,” the Braves announced on X, formerly Twitter.</p><p>Hernandez, 28, has pitched to a respectable 3.41 ERA across 39 appearances in 2025. Across 16 games in 2024, the right-handed reliever recorded a 2.50 ERA in 16 outings. He’s quietly become an important part of the Braves’ bullpen.</p><p>An injury timeline has yet to be revealed for Hernandez. The Braves will closely monitor his shoulder inflammation and determine whether or not he will be able to return this season.</p><p>Stratton, also 28, has recorded a 6.57 ERA at the big league level — with three appearances coming with the Pittsburgh Pirates and six in Atlanta with the Braves. It is worth noting that Stratton has pitched to a 1.86 ERA in his brief time with the Braves.</p><p>Stratton is a reliever who could earn a permanent role in Atlanta’s bullpen at some point in the future. He can make his argument by pitching well over the final few weeks of the regular season.</p><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/atlanta-braves/2-free-agents-braves-pursue-offseason">Braves will certainly have questions to answer</a> during the upcoming offseason. Atlanta is expected to miss the postseason — something that is rare for a ball club that is often competitive. Rumors have suggested that manager <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/atlanta-braves/braves-rumors-why-brian-snitker-expected-retire">Brian Snitker could retire</a> as well.</p><p>At the moment, Atlanta is focused on finishing the ’25 campaign strong. The Braves will host the Houston Astros on Friday night at 7:15 PM EST.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Braves place pitcher on IL with shoulder injury

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/atlanta-braves/braves-news-brian-snitker-retirement-rumors-2025');   ga('set', 'title', 'Braves manager Brian Snitker addresses retirement rumors amid brutal 2025 season');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Brian-Snitker-retirement-rumors.jpg"><figcaption>Dale Zanine-Imagn Images.</figcaption></figure><h1>Braves manager Brian Snitker addresses retirement rumors amid brutal 2025 season</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-10T20:54:27-07:00">September 10th, 8:54pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-11T11:29:32-07:00">September 11th, 11:29am</time><address><a>Josh Davis</a>Josh Davis is an Associate Editor at ClutchPoints with a focus on MLB. As the founder and creator of OutOfSightSports, Josh spearheads the development and expansion of an engaging social media platform, with a core focus on Twitter/X. A passionate sports writer, Josh is dedicated to delivering compelling content that connects fans and fuels vibrant sports conversations. His vision is to craft stories so vivid that fans feel like they’re standing at the plate or on the field.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Atlanta Braves</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Atlanta Braves are in the midst of one of their most disappointing seasons in recent memory, and now <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/atlanta-braves/braves-rumors-why-brian-snitker-expected-retire">Brian Snitker retirement rumors</a> are adding another layer of uncertainty. With the Braves sitting at 65-81 and officially eliminated from playoff contention, the 69-year-old manager addressed speculation about his future in an interview with The Athletic’s David O’Brien, who published a piece on the site following a narrow 3-2 loss to the Chicago Cubs.</p><p>Following the team’s 81st loss of the season, Snitker was <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/atlanta-braves/2-free-agents-braves-pursue-offseason" rel="noopener">asked about his mindset</a>.</p><p>“I still kind of feel like there’s some unfinished business here.”</p><p>The comments reflect a man torn between decades of loyalty and the mounting frustration of a lost season. The Braves manager admitted the season has taken a toll on his outlook.</p><p>“It changes, honestly… I don’t want to look back in a year and regret things. But I want to make sure I know where I’m going.”</p><p>Expectations were high for the club heading into the 2025 season. But a wave of injuries—including the loss of all five Opening Day starters—quickly derailed what was once a promising roster. Adding to the setbacks, outfielder Jurickson Profar was suspended for the first half of the season due to a PED violation. Now, with the Braves playoff hopes officially extinguished, focus has shifted to what comes next for the organization and its longtime manager.</p><p>Snitker also acknowledged the internal struggle of weighing a possible exit.</p><p>“Yeah, a little bit… It’s been hard getting through the season. I mean, it’s almost like if you ask, it depends on the day. I’ve been doing a lot of thinking about it, and I’m honestly not 100 percent sure which direction I want to go yet.”</p><p>The news surrounding the Braves skipper has sparked wide discussion on X (formerly known as Twitter), where beat writers and fans alike debate whether Snitker should return in 2026 or pass the torch. GM Alex Anthopoulos said Snitker would “always be part of the organization” but stopped short of confirming his managerial future.</p><p>As <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/atlanta-braves/2-free-agents-braves-pursue-offseason">Atlanta closes the book on a tough year</a>, Snitker’s decision will carry significant weight, with a sense that change could be coming for the franchise in 2026.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Braves manager Brian Snitker addresses retirement rumors amid brutal 2025 season

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/atlanta-braves/why-braves-drake-baldwin-will-win-nl-rookie-of-the-year-award');   ga('set', 'title', 'Why Braves’ Drake Baldwin will win NL Rookie of the Year Award');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Atlanta-Braves-catcher-Drake-Baldwin.jpg"><figcaption>Kyle Ross-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Why Braves’ Drake Baldwin will win NL Rookie of the Year Award</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-10T14:38:00-07:00">September 10th, 2:38pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-10T14:38:00-07:00">September 10th, 2:38pm</time><address><a>Zachary Howell</a>Zachary Howell is an Associate Editor at ClutchPoints focusing on creating premier MLB content. He is a big fan of the Yankees, Oklahoma City Thunder and the Syracuse Orange. In his free time, he likes to be outside or read.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Atlanta Braves</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Atlanta Braves are less than 20 games away from finishing off a disappointing regular season. There are <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/atlanta-braves/braves-rumors-why-brian-snitker-expected-retire">rumors flying around that Atlanta’s manager, Brian Snitker, could retire</a>. While there are a lot of negatives to take away from the season, Drake Baldwin is not one of them. He, Isaac Collins, and Cade Horton are the favorites to win the National League Rookie of the Year Award.</p><p>Baldwin started the season as the second-string catcher behind Sean Murphy for the Braves. However, he did not stay in that position for very long. When Atlanta was fully healthy, Baldwin quickly became a good enough batter to split time with Marcell Ozuna at the Braves’ designated hitter. His breakout season could cement him as Atlanta’s catcher of the future already.</p><p>Looking at the NL ROY race, it is much more difficult to decide on a front-runner than in the American League. Athletics slugger Nick Kurtz is the favorite in the AL thanks to a dominant second half of the season. In the NL, though, there is not a player who has stood out from the rest for the majority of the year. However, Baldwin deserves to have an edge over his competition.</p><p>As a hitter, Baldwin is far and away the best NL rookie. The fact that he plays <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/atlanta-braves/braves-news-austin-riley-offense-nl-wild-card">on a struggling Braves team</a> is not his fault and should not be held against him when determining a deserving winner. Having steady production at the plate has helped the Atlanta offense find some amount of consistency amid a strange season. His presence played a big role in that improvement.</p><p>Comparing Baldwin to his competition is tough. Collins plays in the outfield while Horton pitches for the Chicago Cubs. Despite that, here is why Baldwin should win the award.</p><h2>Baldwin has been the most well-rounded rookie this season</h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Braves-catcher-Drake-Baldwin.jpg"><figcaption>Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>When rookies break onto the scene in after their first taste of Major League Baseball, it is often because of their offensive talent. Baldwin is not an exception to that rule, but the fact that he can both hit and play good defense behind home plate brings a new level of value to Atlanta. The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/atlanta-braves/braves-news-atlanta-catcher-gets-100-real-on-increased-role">Braves rewarded Baldwin with a bigger role</a> early in the season, and he has not looked back once.</p><p>As a catcher, hitting <a href="https://www.espn.com/mlb/player/stats/_/id/4810190/drake-baldwin" rel="noopener">.273/.344/.443</a> is good regardless of experience or situation. The fact that Baldwin was able to do that as a rookie should play a role in the conversation about the top rookies in the game. His dominance at the plate combined with the fact that he is a plus defender as a catcher is impressive. Without him, there is no telling where the Braves’ season might have gone.</p><p>Earlier this year, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/atlanta-braves/braves-news-trade-deadline-strategy-anthopoulos-2025">Atlanta made the decision not to trade its key players</a>. However, Baldwin might cause a change in that strategy. He and Murphy have formed a fun one-two punch for the Braves, but the veteran catcher is no longer an essential piece for Snitker and the front office to keep around this winter. Baldwin changed the way Atlanta approached its long-term plans.</p><p>Having a player like Baldwin at his disposal is a gift for Snitker. On a team with stars like Ronald Acuña Jr. and Matt Olson, role players that can get on base and hold things down as injuries happen are crucial. Baldwin was not able to single-handedly turn the Braves’ season around, but he showed his future value. As he develops, the catcher is unlikely to fizzle out at the plate.</p><h2>Baldwin’s feats are not as loud, but they are just as impressive</h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Drake-Baldwin.jpg"><figcaption>Credit: Dale Zanine</figcaption></figure><p>Looking at the way award races are judged in the modern era is fascinating. The right players often win the awards each season, but the growth of social media gives highlights much more weight. Compared to the other two NL ROY candidates, Baldwin does not have the peaks that his opponents enjoyed. However, a lack of attention should not work against his case to win.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/chicago-cubs/cubs-rookie-makes-franchise-history-scoreless-streak">Horton’s scoreless inning streak got a lot of attention</a>. Additionally, Collins made headlines with a walk-off home-run to win a game for the Milwaukee Brewers. Baldwin, though, does not necessarily have a crowing moment to hang his hat on when the season ends. However, that should not stop the Braves rookie from earning consideration on the same level of his peers.</p><p>With the regular season winding down, Baldwin winning the award would mean a lot for the Braves. A slow offensive start for the team did not stop <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/atlanta-braves/braves-news-drake-baldwin-emerges-as-nl-roy-betting-favorite-after-smith-shawver-injury">Atlanta’s rookie from emerging as the NL ROY favorite</a> early in the season. He should have the edge over the competition, joining Acuña Jr. and Michael Harris II as the current Braves to win the award.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Why Braves’ Drake Baldwin will win NL Rookie of the Year Award

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/atlanta-braves/braves-rumors-why-brian-snitker-expected-retire');   ga('set', 'title', 'Braves rumors: Why Brian Snitker is expected to retire');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Braves-manager-Brian-Snitker-vs-Cubs.jpg"><figcaption>Jordan Godfree-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Braves rumors: Why Brian Snitker is expected to retire</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-10T08:46:31-07:00">September 10th, 8:46am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-10T08:46:31-07:00">September 10th, 8:46am</time><address><a>Yasmin Edañol</a>Yasmin D.G. Edañol is a PhD candidate in Chemistry at the University of the Philippines Diliman, with a background in scientific research and publishing. He brings a data-driven perspective to sports storytelling as an Associate Editor at ClutchPoints, with a focus on the NBA. Whether it's breaking down a clutch play or a stat line, he believes every great moment has a deeper layer waiting to be uncovered.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Atlanta Braves</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Atlanta Braves are <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/atlanta-braves/mlb-rumors-good-chance-braves-brian-snitker-retires-2025">facing growing speculation about the future</a> of manager Brian Snitker as whispers of a possible retirement grow louder. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/atlanta-braves/braves-news-writer-believe-former-all-star-make-sense-brian-snitker-successor">Snitker has served as the Braves’ skipper for a decade</a> and recently spoke candidly about the personal sacrifices his career has demanded. He revealed that he missed nearly all of his son Troy’s high school baseball games because of scheduling conflicts. Now at 69, the veteran Braves manager reflects on spending more time with his grandchildren and traveling. <a href="https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/46200122/mlb-2025-buster-olney-manager-gm-exec-front-office-changes-decisions" rel="noopener">These thoughts are fueling expectations</a> of a <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/mlb-stories/mlb-rumors-braves-brian-snitker-rangers-bruce-bochy-retire-after-2025-season">Brian Snitker retirement announcement after the 2025 season</a>.</p><p>For now, Snitker has not made an official decision about his future. However, those close to him within the game believe that this could be his final year managing. If Snitker steps away, he is expected to transition into a front-office role. This move would allow him to continue his long-standing relationship with the Braves. That connection began when he signed as a player back in 1977. It would also mark the end of an era for a manager who guided Atlanta through a remarkable stretch of success. Under his leadership, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/atlanta-braves/braves-news-atlanta-makes-first-big-move-after-world-series-title">the team claimed multiple division titles and a World Series championship</a>.</p><p>If Brian Snitker retires, the Braves’ managerial position will instantly become one of the most coveted jobs in baseball. Despite the team’s disappointing 2025 campaign, Atlanta remains loaded with talent. Ronald Acuña Jr., Matt Olson, Chris Sale, and standout rookie Hurston Waldrep headline the roster. With Alex Anthopoulos locked in as head of baseball operations through 2031, the franchise continues to enjoy long-term stability and a clear vision for the future.</p><p>Several potential candidates have already emerged as possible successors. The Braves view bench coach Walt Weiss as a natural internal option. Former Cubs manager David Ross and MLB Network analyst Mark DeRosa both maintain ties to the organization. Rival executives also float Skip Schumaker, the 2022 NL Manager of the Year currently working in the Rangers’ front office, as another strong candidate.</p><p>The Braves’ decision on Brian Snitker will shape the team’s future as they aim to return to championship contention. With an elite core intact, the next move could determine how quickly Atlanta gets back on top.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Braves rumors: Why Brian Snitker is expected to retire

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/atlanta-braves/braves-news-starter-season-ending-il-injury-update');   ga('set', 'title', 'Braves starter goes on season-ending IL as miserable season continues');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Sean-Murphy.jpg"><figcaption>Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images.</figcaption></figure><h1>Braves starter goes on season-ending IL as miserable season continues</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-08T16:07:36-07:00">September 8th, 4:07pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-08T16:07:36-07:00">September 8th, 4:07pm</time><address><a>Josh Davis</a>Josh Davis is an Associate Editor at ClutchPoints with a focus on MLB. As the founder and creator of OutOfSightSports, Josh spearheads the development and expansion of an engaging social media platform, with a core focus on Twitter/X. A passionate sports writer, Josh is dedicated to delivering compelling content that connects fans and fuels vibrant sports conversations. His vision is to craft stories so vivid that fans feel like they’re standing at the plate or on the field.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Atlanta Braves</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Atlanta Braves’ frustrating 2025 season took another hit Monday as the club officially placed catcher <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/atlanta-braves/braves-news-atlanta-sean-murphy-injury-update-2025">Sean Murphy</a> on the season-ending injured list. The decision came after weeks of growing concern about Murphy’s health, as he attempted to play through a worsening hip issue. Now set to undergo surgery, the veteran backstop becomes the latest blow in a year defined by injuries, underperformance, and fading playoff hopes. The timing of the injury couldn’t be worse, as the team continues its late-season slide and faces hard questions headed into the future.</p><p>According to CBSSports.com, <a href="https://www.cbssports.com/fantasy/baseball/news/braves-sean-murphy-out-for-season-with-hip-labral-tear/" rel="noopener">the move was confirmed</a> by The Athletic’s David O’Brien, who reported that Murphy will undergo surgery for a torn hip labrum and face a four-month recovery. MLB.com’s Mark Bowman added that Murphy revealed the injury has been a recurring issue over the last three years. The surgery will sideline him until at least spring training in 2026, further testing Atlanta’s depth behind the plate — an area where rookie Drake Baldwin has recently emerged as a bright spot for the Braves.</p><p>Murphy’s production this season reflected the mounting physical toll. In 94 games, he batted .199 with 58 hits, 16 home runs, and 45 RBIs — well below expectations for a player once counted on to anchor the middle of the lineup. While his power remained evident, the sharp decline in contact suggested that Murphy’s injury had significantly impacted his swing mechanics. Over his final 10 games before hitting the injured list, he went just 3-for-25 with two RBIs, reinforcing the need for the upcoming surgery.</p><p>With Murphy sidelined, the team is leaning on Baldwin, a rookie catcher who has drawn attention throughout the season. In 106 games, he’s posted a .276 average with 15 home runs and 63 RBIs, showcasing a strong mix of contact and power. To bolster depth, veteran Sandy Leon was recalled from Triple-A Gwinnett, while Marcell Ozuna remains an emergency option behind the plate, though he’s unlikely to see regular catching duties.</p><p>The timing of the surgery mirrors a season that has unraveled quickly. Sitting at 64-79, the Braves have lost seven of its last 10 and sit 12 games out of the Wild Card.</p><p>For <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/atlanta-braves/braves-news-sean-murphy-breaks-atlanta-drought">Murphy and the Braves</a>, this injury feels like a fitting low point in what’s become a season to forget.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Braves starter goes on season-ending IL as miserable season continues

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/atlanta-braves/braves-rumors-the-16-million-player-definitely-staying-in-2026');   ga('set', 'title', 'Braves rumors: The $16 million player ‘definitely staying’ in 2026');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Braves-SS-Ha-Seong-Kim.jpg?w=1024"><figcaption>Mandatory Credit: Jordan Godfree-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Braves rumors: The $16 million player ‘definitely staying’ in 2026</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-07T08:36:35-07:00">September 7th, 8:36am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-07T08:36:35-07:00">September 7th, 8:36am</time><address><a href="https://linktr.ee/jordan.llanes">Jordan Llanes</a>Jordan Llanes is a sports writer and reporter based in Florida. In addition to ClutchPoints, he writes for a few other publications covering the NFL, college sports and Tottenham Hotspur. When he's not writing, Jordan enjoys spending time with his fiancée, cats, family and friends, as well as catching the latest TV shows and movies, and traveling.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Atlanta Braves</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Despite playoff hopes entering this season, the Atlanta <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/atlanta-braves/braves-news-ronald-acuna-jr-slips-rookie-year-low-atlantas-lineup">Braves have failed to reach</a> the heights they have over the last few years. President of baseball operations Alex Anthopoulos has been busy getting the roster for 2026 and beyond. The Braves core is still one of a playoff contender. It was well known after the release of former starting shortstop Orlando Arcia that the position might be a problem. However, after Anthopoulos claimed shortstop Ha-Seong Kim off waivers a few days ago, it looks as if Atlanta has <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/mlb/columnist/bob-nightengale/2025/09/07/mlb-fired-managers-hot-seat/86015122007/" rel="noopener">their shortstop for 2026,</a> according to USA Today’s Bob Nightengale.</p><p>“Atlanta wouldn’t have taken the gamble of claiming Ha-Seong Kim off waivers from the Tampa Bay Rays if they weren’t certain that Kim would not opt out of the $16 million remaining in his contract for 2026,” wrote Nightengale on Sunday. “Kim is definitely staying, and Atlanta has its shortstop. How badly is he needed? Atlanta’s shortstops were hitting .217 with a .249 slugging percentage and .524 OPS, easily the worst in baseball, before Kim’s arrival. They had gone the entire season without a homer from their shortstop position until Kim homered.”</p><p>Following Arcia’s release, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/atlanta-braves/braves-news-atlanta-receives-big-chris-sale-boost-phillies-clash">veteran Nick Allen has taken</a> the majority of starts at shortstop. While Allen is a solid defender, it was clear that he’s not a long-term solution. Over 361 at-bats, Allen has only hit .222 with no home runs and 2i RBIs. The former Athletics infielder was successful on eight of 14 stolen base attempts as well. Now that Kim has taken over, his $16 million option for 2026 could be a bargain as long as he’s healthy. However, that is a big if based on this season. Will the former Tampa Bay Ray prove to be the 2026 solution that many believe he can be for Atlanta?</p><h2><b>Braves look to bounce back in 2026 after rough 2025 campaign</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Braves-SS-Nick-Allen_aecee6.jpg"><figcaption>Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Currently in fourth place in the NL East, it’s clear that 2025 has not gone to plan at Truist Park. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/atlanta-braves/braves-news-chris-sale-2025-injury-admission">The Braves are loaded</a> with star power, from right fielder Ronald Acuna Jr. to starting pitcher Chris Sale. It was clear that a few adjustments were needed to the current roster. However, injuries and ineffectiveness have led Atlanta to this point.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/atlanta-braves/braves-news-atlanta-brings-in-ha-seong-kim-after-rays-split">By bringing in Kim,</a> it’s clear that the focus of Anthopoulos is on 2026. The former Ray and San Diego Padre has shown that he’s a very capable starting shortstop when on the field. This season in Tampa Bay was lost mostly due to injuries. However, based on his play since joining the Braves, Kim looks fully healthy once more. Will he stay at shortstop in Atlanta past next season? Only Kim and Anthopoulos will know for sure.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Braves rumors: The $16 million player ‘definitely staying’ in 2026

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/atlanta-braves/braves-news-ronald-acuna-jr-slips-rookie-year-low-atlantas-lineup');   ga('set', 'title', 'Ronald Acuña Jr. slips to rookie year low in Braves’ lineup');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Atlanta-Braves-outfielder-Ronald-Acuna-Jr-2.jpg"><figcaption>Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Ronald Acuña Jr. slips to rookie year low in Braves’ lineup</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-06T12:50:34-07:00">September 6th, 12:50pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-06T12:50:34-07:00">September 6th, 12:50pm</time><address><a>Zachary Howell</a>Zachary Howell is an Associate Editor at ClutchPoints focusing on creating premier MLB content. He is a big fan of the Yankees, Oklahoma City Thunder and the Syracuse Orange. In his free time, he likes to be outside or read.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Atlanta Braves</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Atlanta Braves won the series opener against the Seattle Mariners on Friday. Entering Saturday’s game, though, Braves manager Brian Snitker decided to make an interesting change to his batting order. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/atlanta-braves/braves-news-ronald-acuna-jr-austin-riley-get-updates-before-mets-showdown">Ronald Acuña Jr. has dealt with injuries throughout the season</a>, putting him in a slump at the plate. To fix that, Jurickson Profar will leadoff with Acuña Jr. bats sixth.</p><p>The All-Star outfielder is one of the best leadoff hitters in Major League Baseball when healthy. However, the 2025 season has been an outlier thanks to injuries and an inconsistent offense around him. His numbers were good enough to send him to Atlanta for the All-Star Game. Despite Acuña Jr.’s success at the plate, the Braves remain near the bottom of the standings.</p><p>This weekend’s series carries much more weight for Seattle than Atlanta. The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/seattle-mariners/mariners-news-seattle-gets-outfield-boost-amid-postseason-push">Mariners’ playoff hopes are still very much alive</a> while Snitker and Co. can start focusing on 2026. Despite their struggles, the Braves want Acuña Jr. to get back on track. They hope that moving him down in the order will help him. According to The Athletic’s David O’Brien, he has <a href="https://x.com/DOBrienATL/status/1964412041797488791" rel="noopener">not hit sixth since 2018</a>.</p><p>“Slumping Acuña batting sixth today. He’s had 10 previous starts in the sixth spot, all in his rookie season in 2018,” O’Brien said.</p><p>Profar has had his moments offensively this season, but the leadoff spot is new for him. However, Snitker needed to change something in order to revitalize Acuña Jr.’s swing. If the outfielder’s slump continues, he could be stuck in the middle of the lineup for the rest of the season. On the other hand, a turnaround could easily return him to the top spot.</p><p>For the most part, the Braves go as Acuña Jr. does. Atlanta did not move any of its core players at the trade deadline, believing that 2025 is an outlier. If they want to reach their goals, the Braves need Acuña Jr. to return to his All-Star form.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Ronald Acuña Jr. slips to rookie year low in Braves’ lineup

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/atlanta-braves/braves-news-hayden-harris-savannah-bananas-journey-mlb-debut');   ga('set', 'title', 'Braves pitcher details Savannah Bananas journey after making MLB debut');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Savannah-Bananas-game-in-2025.jpg"><figcaption>© Ethan Morrison / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Braves pitcher details Savannah Bananas journey after making MLB debut</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-06T10:00:35-07:00">September 6th, 10:00am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-06T10:05:32-07:00">September 6th, 10:05am</time><address><a href="https://www.facebook.com/joey.mistretta/" rel="facebook">Joey Mistretta</a>Joey Mistretta is a Dallas Mavericks beat reporter, Dallas Wings beat reporter and lead MLB editor for ClutchPoints. He is originally from Lake Arrowhead, California. Mistretta graduated from Biola University with a degree in broadcast journalism.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Atlanta Braves</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Left-handed pitcher Hayden Harris recently made his MLB debut with the Atlanta Braves, holding the Chicago Cubs scoreless for one inning in a 4-3 defeat. Before the southpaw was pitching at the major league level, though, he was entertaining fans with the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/mlb-stories/mlb-news-rob-manfred-mea-culpa-savannah-bananas-golden-at-bat">Savannah Bananas</a>. Harris <a href="https://x.com/MLBNetworkRadio/status/1964360306420752593" rel="noopener">recently joined</a> MLB Network Radio to discuss baseball’s latest phenomenon.</p><p>“It was awesome being able to go down to Savannah,” Harris said before explaining that he needed something to do ahead of his upcoming college baseball season at the time. “The coordinator from the Bananas kind of called me and he was like… ‘We’d like you to come play for us… We gotta get you in the last game of the year so that you can be eligible for the playoffs. So I got in on the last day of the year.”</p><p>For those who may not be aware, the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/mlb-stories/mlb-rumors-league-savannah-bananas-future">Bananas — although technically a baseball team — operate in their own manner</a>. They have different rules when it comes to the baseball element of the sport, while they offer various promotions and other things to excite fans.</p><p>“Every single jersey that game had everyone’s face plastered across it,” the Braves pitcher continued. “I was too late to get my face plastered across it so it was just all Bananas and whatever my number was. Ended up being NIL night where we would auction off our jerseys and we would actually get the money and they were making it a big deal… It was the first NIL from summer ball or something that players got paid.</p><p>“And since mine didn’t have my face on it, you know, fans loved it. They bid up to like, I don’t know, it was like $600 bucks or something like that. So, as a college kid, you get $600 bucks cash and it’s like, ‘Wow, this is sick!'”</p><p>The journey ultimately led Harris to the Braves down the road. Although he admitted he didn’t get involved in much of the dancing (the Bananas feature a lot of dancing at games), he did enjoy pitching in the playoffs with the team.</p><p>“Pitching in the playoffs and everything was dope. You know, we got to win the championship, took some cool pictures and stuff. I didn’t do too much of the dancing or anything like that.”</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Braves pitcher details Savannah Bananas journey after making MLB debut

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/atlanta-braves/braves-news-chris-sale-2025-injury-admission');   ga('set', 'title', 'Braves’ Chris Sale drops brutally honest 2025 admission');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/CS.jpg"><figcaption>Brett Davis-Imagn Images.</figcaption></figure><h1>Braves’ Chris Sale drops brutally honest 2025 admission</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-06T07:13:24-07:00">September 6th, 7:13am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-06T07:13:24-07:00">September 6th, 7:13am</time><address><a>Josh Davis</a>Josh Davis is an Associate Editor at ClutchPoints with a focus on MLB. As the founder and creator of OutOfSightSports, Josh spearheads the development and expansion of an engaging social media platform, with a core focus on Twitter/X. A passionate sports writer, Josh is dedicated to delivering compelling content that connects fans and fuels vibrant sports conversations. His vision is to craft stories so vivid that fans feel like they’re standing at the plate or on the field.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Atlanta Braves</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Atlanta Braves picked up a 4-1 win over the Seattle Mariners on Friday night, but the postgame conversation centered around a candid moment from one of their most important players. In his second start since returning from injury, Chris Sale reflected on what might have been had he stayed healthy all season—a moment that added emotional weight to an already dominant performance.</p><p>The return of the reigning NL Cy Young Award winner has been a rare bright spot in an otherwise turbulent season for the club. After missing more than two months with a fractured rib sustained on June 18 against the New York Mets, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/atlanta-braves/braves-news-chris-sale-encouraging-rehab-start-looming-return">Sale</a> has regained elite form. On Friday, he struck out nine Mariners over 6 2/3 innings, allowing just one run on four hits in one of his most dominant outings of 2025.</p><p>In an article written by MLB’s Mark Bowman, Sale admitted he couldn’t help <a href="https://www.mlb.com/braves/news/chris-sale-strikes-out-nine-in-braves-win-over-mariners" rel="noopener">but think about how</a> different the season might look if he hadn’t gotten hurt. Bowman wrote that the veteran southpaw sat at his locker after the game, reflecting on the lost time.</p><p>“Tonight, that was one of the first things I did,” Sale said. “I was just kind of sitting at my locker and wondering, ‘What if I didn’t get hurt? What if I was able to stay upright this whole year?’”</p><p>Sale’s 2025 numbers tell the story. He owns a 2.38 ERA with 132 strikeouts across 17 starts, reinforcing his status as one of the league’s most effective arms. Since rejoining the rotation, he has allowed just two earned runs over 12 2/3 innings. His current form places him in elite company among pitchers at his age.</p><p>Unfortunately, the Braves pitching struggles during his absence contributed to the team’s sharp midseason slide. At 64-77, Atlanta now trails the first place Philadelphia Phillies by 18 games in the NL East. The Braves playoff chances have faded, but Sale’s return has provided a rare bright spot.</p><p>As the 2025 season winds down, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/atlanta-braves/braves-news-chris-sale-reacts-successful-injury-return-absence">Sale remains focused on finishing strong</a> and building momentum for 2026. For a veteran ace in his 15th season, that honesty and performance continue to set him apart.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Braves’ Chris Sale drops brutally honest 2025 admission

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/atlanta-braves/2-free-agents-braves-pursue-offseason');   ga('set', 'title', '2 free agents Braves must pursue in offseason');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/779803151-2-free-agents-braves-must-pursue-in-offseason.jpg"></figure><h1>2 free agents Braves must pursue in offseason</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-04T15:25:14-07:00">September 4th, 3:25pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-04T15:25:14-07:00">September 4th, 3:25pm</time><address><a>Bailey Bassett</a>Bailey Bassett is a sports writer from Denver, Colorado, covering major sports events and athlete backgrounds at ClutchPoints. He has experience covering and writing on high school, collegiate, and professional sports.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Atlanta Braves</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Atlanta Braves have been one of the most disappointing teams of the 2025 season. They came into the season as a potential championship-caliber team. In fact, ChatGPT <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/mlb-stories/chatgpt-predicts-win-2025-world-series">predicted them to win the 2025 World Series</a>. Instead, the Braves are 14 games under .500, so they will need to retool for next season.</p><p>Injuries and bullpen depth have been noticeable weaknesses over the last year or two, so the Braves will need to sign free agents who can fix those problems if they want to reestablish themselves as championship contenders next season. So who should the Braves sign in free agency this winter?</p><h2><b>Braves should replace Marcell Ozuna with Kyle Schwarber</b></h2><p>Marcell Ozuna has long been one of the best power hitters in baseball. He has settled into a role as an elite designated hitter for the Braves in recent years. However, his time in Atlanta and as an elite home-run producer might be coming to a close. Ozuna had 79 combined home runs over the previous two seasons, but he is down to just 14 long balls this season in what has been a down year.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/atlanta-braves/braves-rumors-marcell-ozuna-decision-veto-trades">Ozuna’s regression led to him being involved in trade rumors</a> ahead of the trade deadline. The Braves held on to the soon-to-be 35-year-old after he vetoed potential deals, but it seems likely that Ozuna will leave in free agency at season’s end.</p><p>Kyle Schwarber would be the perfect replacement. The Philadelphia Phillies have been World Series contenders for years, but they haven’t been able to hoist the Commissioner’s Trophy with the current core.</p><p>If they end the year ringless yet again, then the team may be forced to blow things up, especially because their core is aging rapidly. Schwarber is both one of the best home-run hitters in baseball and one of the best at pitch selection in the sport. He has hit 40-plus bombs in three of the last four seasons, including 49 this year. Schwarber also has a .366 on-base percentage and 92 walks.</p><p>Schwarber could be the upgrade that would get Atlanta back on track. If the Braves signed him, he’d join a team that has tons of offensive pop already in the form of Sean Murphy, Matt Olson, Austin Riley, Ronald Acuna Jr., and Michael Harris.</p><h2><b>Kirby Yates would fix bullpen problems</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/779803159-kirby-yates-dodgers.jpg"><figcaption>Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption></figure><p>More so than pitching help, the Braves will be desperate for arms this offseason. Their bullpen has been their weakest position group all season. The team has a collective <a href="https://www.covers.com/sport/baseball/mlb/statistics/team-bullpenera/2025" rel="noopener">4.13 ERA</a> from their relievers this season. Kirby Yates is one of the best relief pitchers that will hit the open market, and there is a good chance that the Los Angeles Dodgers won’t bring him back.</p><p>Yates has played for a new team in each of the last three seasons. Although the Dodgers struggled with pitching depth for most of the season, they should be stacked in that regard next year, assuming the team has a better string of health. Yates could be the victim of this depth, especially because he is in the midst of a down season. However, he could bounce right back in a big way with the Braves.</p><p>It was just 2024 when Yates posted a 1.17 ERA. He could slot in as a late-inning arm for Atlanta and help them reach the potential that they fell short of this season.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

2 free agents Braves must pursue in offseason

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/atlanta-braves/braves-news-atlanta-releases-veteran-pitcher-mariners-series');   ga('set', 'title', 'Braves release veteran pitcher before Mariners series');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Snitker-coaches.jpg"><figcaption>Dale Zanine-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Braves release veteran pitcher before Mariners series</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-04T12:15:06-07:00">September 4th, 12:15pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-04T12:43:27-07:00">September 4th, 12:43pm</time><address><a>Jackson Stone</a>Jackson Stone is a Mercer University alum from Atlanta who graduated with a BA in communications. A lifelong sports lover, Jackson is a die-hard fan of all Atlanta teams. He joined ClutchPoints in 2023.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Atlanta Braves</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>It’s been a difficult year<a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/atlanta-braves/1-disappointing-player-braves-must-trade-in-offseason"> for the Atlanta Braves</a>, who currently sit 14 games below the .500 mark at 63-77 after Wednesday’s road win over the Chicago Cubs. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/atlanta-braves/braves-rumors-atlanta-facing-easy-7-million-decision-offseason">Atlanta isn’t in</a> as bad of a rough patch as they were about a month ago, but at this point, the team is just treading water until the season mercifully reaches its conclusion at the end of this month.</p><p>On Thursday, the Braves <a href="https://x.com/Braves/status/1963658776587735103" rel="noopener">took to social media</a> to announce a slew of moves ahead of this weekend’s home slate against the Seattle Mariners, including releasing a veteran pitcher.</p><p>“The #Braves today reinstated OF Jurickson Profar from the paternity list and recalled RHP Daysbel Hernández to Atlanta. The club also designated INF Luke Williams for assignment and released RHP Cal Quantrill from the roster,” reported the Braves on their official team account on X, formerly Twitter. “Additionally, RHP Wander Suero was claimed off waivers by the New York Mets.”</p><p>It should be noted that if the Braves were to make the playoffs, Profar wouldn’t be eligible to play given his previous suspension, but that isn’t looking likely to be a concern at the moment.</p><h2><b>A tough season for the Braves</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Brian-Snitker.jpg"><figcaption>Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Entering this season, the Braves had some of the highest expectations anywhere in MLB, projected by most to be on the short list of teams with a legitimate chance to win a World Series championship.</p><p>Fast forward a few months and now Atlanta is just waiting for the clock to run out on the 2025 season, with their playoff hopes all but over.</p><p>Various factors are to blame for the Braves’ struggles this season, including regression from players like Ozzie Albies as well as some untimely injuries. There have been rampant rumors that this could be manager Brian Snitker’s last year at the helm in Atlanta, but he may not be the only one gone by the start of next season if those reports are true.</p><p>In any case, the Braves will now have a day off before kicking off their series against the Mariners on Friday evening at Truist Park in Atlanta.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Braves release veteran pitcher before Mariners series

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/atlanta-braves/1-disappointing-player-braves-must-trade-in-offseason');   ga('set', 'title', '1 disappointing player Braves must trade in offseason');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/1-disappointing-player-Braves-must-trade-in-offseason.jpg"></figure><h1>1 disappointing player Braves must trade in offseason</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-02T21:59:34-07:00">September 2nd, 9:59pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-02T21:59:34-07:00">September 2nd, 9:59pm</time><address><a href="https://letterboxd.com/splooshpuhrty/films/by/your-rating/">Jedd Pagaduan</a>Jedd Pagaduan is a certified Clippers and Gunners fan, which means he's a very sports-traumatized individual. He now writes about sports instead as a form of therapy.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Atlanta Braves</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>To say that the 2025 season could not be going any further from plan for the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/atlanta-braves/braves-news-atlantas-goal-amid-disappointing-2025-season">Atlanta Braves would be a major understatement</a>. Heading into 2025, the Braves were boasting a seven-year postseason streak, even doing so in 2024 even though the team’s best position player, Ronald Acuna Jr., played in only 49 games. Moreover, last year, Spencer Strider missed all but two games of last season, and yet the Braves won 89 games and made it to the playoffs.</p><p>This year, it seems as though <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/atlanta-braves/3-players-atlanta-braves-fans-are-already-fed-up-with-in-2025">Murphy’s Law has found its way into the Braves’ DNA</a>. Due to a combination of injury problems and severe underperformance from their key guys, the Braves have declined all the way to fourth place in the NL East with a 62-76 record, with a playoff spot being all out of reach for Atlanta in the final month of the regular season.</p><p>At this point, the Braves have to be asking themselves how they can return to glory in 2026, with 2025 being a season long gone. And perhaps a few seismic changes could do the trick for the Braves, especially when a lot of their players did not meet expectations this season.</p><p>With all that said, here is the player the Braves must trade after disappointing in a major way this year.</p><h2><b>Is it time for the Braves to move on from Michael Harris II?</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Harris-vs-the-Yankees.jpg"><figcaption>Brett Davis-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>It wasn’t that long ago when <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/atlanta-braves/braves-news-michael-harris-first-reaction-to-winning-nl-rookie-of-the-year">Michael Harris II burst onto the scene</a> as a five-tool player and future superstar for the Braves, all in his rookie season. Never mind that Harris did not have any big-league experience prior to the 2022 season; he fit in seamlessly with the group, starring in center field with his elite defense and incredible bat, not to mention his positive baserunning.</p><p>But since then, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/atlanta-braves/braves-news-atlanta-hitting-coach-downplays-michael-harris-ii-slump">Harris has been on a decline</a>. When he made his MLB debut, he was only 21 years of age. So for him to have gotten progressively worse for the Braves through the first four years of his career is very concerning. And it hasn’t just been one facet of the game where Harris has struggled to keep up the pace he was playing at during his superstar-level rookie campaign.</p><p>To dissect where <a href="https://www.fangraphs.com/players/michael-harris-ii/25931/stats?position=OF" rel="noopener">things have begun to go wrong</a> for Harris, his plate discipline and pitch selection hasn’t improved one bit. Pitchers have adapted to him and he hasn’t quite been the same. For starters, the Braves center fielder has not dealt well with four-seamers since his rookie campaign.</p><p>According to StatCast, he’s been <a href="https://www.fangraphs.com/players/michael-harris-ii/25931/stats?position=OF#pitch-values" rel="noopener">5.6 runs below average</a> against fastballs from 2023 to 2025. Considering that he’s seeing this pitch most often, that is a major concern.</p><p>Moreover, Harris has been borderline useless against sinkers. Pitchers have recognized that he doesn’t respond to pitches moving down towards the bottom of the zone, and they’ve thrown it 22.0 percent of the time in 2025 — a career-high against the Braves center fielder. This year, he’s been worth 12.9 runs below average against sinkers — a woeful output.</p><p>Thus, there is no surprise that Harris is posting a career-worst .688 OPS, which is down nearly .300 from his stellar rookie season where he posted an OPS of .953.</p><p>It certainly looks as though Harris is pressing; he’s swinging at a career-high 42.5 percent of pitches outside the strike zone. In fact, he’s just been swinging more often in general, posting a career-high 56.3 percent swing rate. That is concerning when he’s not making viable contact; he’s hit more groundballs than ever, and this suboptimal launch angle means that he’s not hitting as many barrels as he did in the past. This explains his career-worst BABIP of .288 (at the time of writing).</p><p>The walk rate for Harris is just horrific. He gets on base via walk in just 2.6 percent of his plate appearances, and that, simply, will not get the job done.</p><p>But at the end of the day, Harris is not someone the Braves will be trading anytime soon. In fact, he’s been <a href="https://www.statmuse.com/mlb/ask/michael-harris-ii-ops-since-july-18-2025" rel="noopener">turning it around</a> since the All-Star break. Since the 18th of July, Harris has recorded an OPS of .962 while hitting 11 home runs and driving in 33 runs in the process. He’s always displayed excellent bat to ball ability and the ability to connect for power, and he’s been putting it all together over the past month or so.</p><p>However, it is still worrying that he’s only drawn four walks in 43 games. Not everyone can be Kevin Youkilis, also known as the Greek God of Walks, but Harris has to have something to fall back into when the inevitable batting slump continues.</p><p>Nevertheless, he’s only 24 years of age, and he’s under a team-friendly contract until 2030, with club options for 2031 and 2032. As nightmarish of a 2025 season he’s been having as a whole, there are signs of life for Harris and the Braves have to have faith that he can put this kind of play together sustainably.</p><p><b>Verdict: Do NOT trade Michael Harris II</b></p><h2><b>Gauging Ozzie Albies, Spencer Strider, and Bryce Elder’s futures</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Albies-vs-the-Rangers.jpg"><figcaption>Jerome Miron-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Ozzie Albies has also been in the middle of a poor season; he has a 1.0 WAR through 138 games, a career-worst pace. His OPS of .658 is nothing worth writing home about, and the defensive metrics haven’t taken too kindly to his defense at the keystone this year. However, his contract is way too team-friendly, and <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/atlanta-braves/braves-rumors-atlanta-facing-easy-7-million-decision-offseason">he’s beloved among Braves fans</a>. He should be given another chance to redeem himself in 2026.</p><p>Meanwhile, the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/atlanta-braves/braves-news-spencer-strider-improvement-losing-marlins">Braves have to be very forgiving of Strider</a> in his return season from Tommy John surgery. He’s been a shell of his former self, tallying a 4.97 ERA across 101.1 innings (19 starts). The good thing is that he’s been healthy enough to make that many starts and pitch in that many innings.</p><p>However, his fastball velocity is way down and so is his strikeout rate. But he’s shown that he’s way too talented when healthy that the Braves must feel obligated to give him leeway and hope that he returns to form in his second season following major surgery.</p><p>If there’s anyone the Braves must trade, it’s Bryce Elder. Elder excited fans when he made the All-Star team in 2023. But he’s been nothing but a below-average innings eater since. He’s posted an ERA <a href="https://www.statmuse.com/mlb/ask/bryce-elder-stats-2024-to-2025" rel="noopener">of 6.04</a> in 174.1 innings over the past two seasons, and it’s just about time that Atlanta cuts him loose.</p><p><b>Verdict: Do NOT trade Ozzie Albies and Spencer Strider, trade Bryce Elder away instead</b></p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

1 disappointing player Braves must trade in offseason

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/atlanta-braves/braves-news-atlanta-brings-in-ha-seong-kim-after-rays-split');   ga('set', 'title', 'Braves bring in Ha-Seong Kim after Rays split');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Former-Rays-SS-Ha-Seong-Kim.jpg?w=1024"><figcaption>Mandatory Credit: Robert Edwards-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Braves bring in Ha-Seong Kim after Rays split</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-01T12:18:50-07:00">September 1st, 12:18pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-01T12:18:50-07:00">September 1st, 12:18pm</time><address><a href="https://linktr.ee/jordan.llanes">Jordan Llanes</a>Jordan Llanes is a sports writer and reporter based in Florida. In addition to ClutchPoints, he writes for a few other publications covering the NFL, college sports and Tottenham Hotspur. When he's not writing, Jordan enjoys spending time with his fiancée, cats, family and friends, as well as catching the latest TV shows and movies, and traveling.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Atlanta Braves</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Big things were expected from <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/atlanta-braves/braves-rumors-atlanta-facing-easy-7-million-decision-offseason">the Atlanta Braves in 2025,</a> as the team looked to be loaded for yet another run at the playoffs. However, injuries and ineffectiveness, among other factors, have left the Braves 14 games behind the division-leading Philadelphia Phillies at 62-75 on the season. Atlanta will look to finish the season strong and see who will contribute to the 2026 roster and beyond. In an effort to improve the squad, the Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal reported via X (formerly Twitter) that the Braves will claim shortstop Ha-Seong Kim off waivers following his <a href="https://x.com/Ken_Rosenthal/status/1962576877924855913" rel="noopener">release from the Tampa Bay Rays.</a></p><p>“The Braves have claimed shortstop Ha-Seong Kim from the Rays on waivers, sources tell @TheAthletic,” posted Rosenthal. “Kim is owed ~$2M rest of the season and has a $16M player option for next season. Braves get to look at him for a month. Ready to come off IL with lower back inflammation.”</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/tampa-bay-rays/rays-ha-seong-kim-encouraging-update-landing-il">Kim’s lower back inflammation comes</a> after the former San Diego Padres shortstop missed the majority of his lone season with the Rays due to a shoulder injury. If Kim is set to come back soon, he could provide an answer to the Braves’ question at shortstop. Nick Allen is the current starter at the position, but Kim could be an upgrade if fully healthy. Can he prove to Atlanta that he was worth the claim? Or will his health problems continue to limit him moving forward?</p><h2><b>Who will start at shortstop for Braves?</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Braves-SS-Nick-Allen.jpg"><figcaption>Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>While Allen has played a career-high 127 games in his first season with the Braves, it’s clear that an upgrade is needed. At least <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/a/allenni02.shtml" rel="noopener">from an offensive standpoint,</a> as Allen has hit just .221 with no home runs and 21 RBIs over 357 at-bats. Former starting shortstop Orlando Arcia was released by Atlanta following a poor start and is now with the Colorado Rockies. In the minors, the Braves really don’t have a readymade shortstop to take over.</p><p>Now, it looks like the position will be Kim’s once he’s off the IL. While the Korean infielder’s time in Tampa Bay was largely unsuccessful, it’s clear what he brings to the table when fully healthy. If he can stay on the field with the Braves, then it’s <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/tampa-bay-rays/rays-news-ha-seong-kim-set-make-tampa-bay-debut-vs-twins">possible that Kim will show</a> glimpses of the player he was in San Diego. If those glimpses translate back into consistent production, then Atlanta could have a major steal on their hands.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Braves bring in Ha-Seong Kim after Rays split

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/atlanta-braves/braves-rumors-atlanta-facing-easy-7-million-decision-offseason');   ga('set', 'title', 'Braves rumors: Atlanta facing ‘easy’ $7 million decision this offseason');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Albies-swings.jpg"><figcaption>Kyle Ross-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Braves rumors: Atlanta facing ‘easy’ $7 million decision this offseason</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-08-31T12:09:21-07:00">August 31st, 12:09pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-08-31T12:09:21-07:00">August 31st, 12:09pm</time><address><a>Jackson Stone</a>Jackson Stone is a Mercer University alum from Atlanta who graduated with a BA in communications. A lifelong sports lover, Jackson is a die-hard fan of all Atlanta teams. He joined ClutchPoints in 2023.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Atlanta Braves</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>It has not been a great season <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/philadelphia-phillies/phillies-news-3-home-run-inning-vs-braves">for the Atlanta Braves</a>, who currently sit at 61-75 ahead of Sunday’s series finale <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/philadelphia-phillies/phillies-news-nick-castellanos-braves-runner-insane-throw">against the Philadelphia Phillies</a>. Atlanta has dealt with both injuries and major regression up and down the roster up to this point, now in twice as bad of a position as they were when they got off to an 0-7 start to begin the season from a record perspective.</p><p>One of the key players on the Braves who has regressed this year is infielder Ozzie Albies, who has endured some major struggles throughout the 2025 campaign.</p><p>Recently, MLB insider Bob Nightengale of USA Today broke down what the Braves’ <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/mlb/columnist/bob-nightengale/2025/08/31/mlb-september-playoff-race-mvp-favorites/85916446007/" rel="noopener">best course of action</a> is regarding Albies this summer.</p><p>“It’s an easy decision for Atlanta to pick up second baseman Ozzie Albie’s $7 million option considering it includes a $4 million buyout. That extra $3 million could be a steal, even coming off his his worst offensive season,” reported Nightengale.</p><p>Albies has long been a fan favorite in Atlanta due to his infectious personality as well as his many big hits and plays in the infield over the years, but the good vibes have dropped off significantly for the Braves this year.</p><p>It’s been a steady decent for the Braves ever since they won the World Series back in 2021, not having won a playoff series since. This year, Atlanta’s playoff streak looks to be coming to an end, a streak that has been intact since the 2018 season.</p><p>There have been frequent rumblings about manager Brian Snitker’s possible retirement at the end of this season, and it remains unclear who the team might replace him with if that were to happen. There are also major roster questions for the Braves’ front office as they attempt to figure out what went wrong in this disastrous campaign.</p><p>In any case, the Braves and Phillies will begin their series finale on Sunday shortly after 7:00 PM ET.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Braves rumors: Atlanta facing ‘easy’ $7 million decision this offseason

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/atlanta-braves/braves-news-chris-sale-reacts-successful-injury-return-absence');   ga('set', 'title', 'Braves’ Chris Sale reacts to successful injury return after ‘no fun’ absence');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Braves-pitcher-Chris-Sale-against-Phillies.jpg"><figcaption>Kyle Ross-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Braves’ Chris Sale reacts to successful injury return after ‘no fun’ absence</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-08-31T09:10:47-07:00">August 31st, 9:10am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-08-31T09:12:06-07:00">August 31st, 9:12am</time><address><a>Yasmin Edañol</a>Yasmin D.G. Edañol is a PhD candidate in Chemistry at the University of the Philippines Diliman, with a background in scientific research and publishing. He brings a data-driven perspective to sports storytelling as an Associate Editor at ClutchPoints, with a focus on the NBA. Whether it's breaking down a clutch play or a stat line, he believes every great moment has a deeper layer waiting to be uncovered.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Atlanta Braves</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Atlanta Braves <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/atlanta-braves/braves-news-atlanta-receives-big-chris-sale-boost-phillies-clash">welcomed back reigning NL Cy Young winner</a> Chris Sale with high hopes, and he wasted no time reminding everyone why he’s one of baseball’s elite arms. In his first game since mid-June, Sale struck out nine over six dominant innings against the Phillies. Atlanta desperately needed this type of performance to fuel their postseason push. However, the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/philadelphia-phillies/phillies-news-fans-erupt-bonkers-trea-turner-ending-braves">Braves dropped their third straight game in this Phillies series</a>.</p><p>After the game, Sale <a href="https://www.mlb.com/news/chris-sale-reinstated-from-injured-list" rel="noopener">reflected on his return</a> and the road back from injury. He admitted that being sidelined wasn’t easy. “Watching baseball is not a lot of fun for me. I enjoy competing,” he said. “I enjoy being out there. To get it taken away, you miss it a little bit. So when you get back out there, you want to lock in, pick up the slack when your team needs it.” His words resonated with teammates and fans, showing how much his return meant to the clubhouse.</p><p>On the mound, Sale looked sharp and confident. He allowed just three hits and one run, a solo homer by Weston Wilson in the third, before settling in and dominating a potent Phillies lineup. Manager Brian Snitker praised his ace, calling Sale “one of the greatest teammates you’ll ever have.” Outfielder Michael Harris II added that Sale’s energy and leadership “lift the entire team.”</p><p>However, even Sale’s brilliance wasn’t enough to secure a win. The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/philadelphia-phillies/phillies-news-nick-castellanos-behavior-braves-win-fans-wondering">Braves fell 3-2 in extra innings</a> after Trea Turner delivered a walk-off two-run single in the 10th. It was a gut-punch finish to an otherwise promising night, leaving Atlanta still clawing for momentum in a tight postseason race.</p><p>Despite the loss, the takeaway was clear: Chris Sale is back and ready to lead the Braves. His return adds hope to a team fighting for position in the standings. If Sale can stay healthy and continue pitching like the reigning Cy Young winner he is, the Braves could still make noise down the stretch.</p><p>But with the Phillies in control, can the Braves regroup in time to avoid the sweep?</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Braves’ Chris Sale reacts to successful injury return after ‘no fun’ absence

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/atlanta-braves/braves-news-atlanta-receives-big-chris-sale-boost-phillies-clash');   ga('set', 'title', 'Braves receives big Chris Sale boost before Phillies clash');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Braves-pitcher-Chris-Sale.jpg"><figcaption>Brett Davis-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Braves receives big Chris Sale boost before Phillies clash</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-08-30T07:28:53-07:00">August 30th, 7:28am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-08-30T07:28:53-07:00">August 30th, 7:28am</time><address><a>Yasmin Edañol</a>Yasmin D.G. Edañol is a PhD candidate in Chemistry at the University of the Philippines Diliman, with a background in scientific research and publishing. He brings a data-driven perspective to sports storytelling as an Associate Editor at ClutchPoints, with a focus on the NBA. Whether it's breaking down a clutch play or a stat line, he believes every great moment has a deeper layer waiting to be uncovered.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Atlanta Braves</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Atlanta Braves just received a major boost ahead of their <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/philadelphia-phillies/phillies-news-nick-castellanos-braves-runner-insane-throw">ongoing clash with the Philadelphia Phillies</a>. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/atlanta-braves/braves-news-atlanta-makes-roster-moves-after-embarrassing-loss-to-phillies">After dropping two straight games in the series</a>, the Braves <a href="https://x.com/Braves/status/1961782680829264164" rel="noopener">officially reinstated</a> Chris Sale from the injured list following his successful rehabilitation assignment. To make room for the veteran left-hander, the Braves optioned right-hander Nathan Wiles to Triple-A Gwinnett after last night’s game. This move comes at a critical time as the Braves looks to regain momentum against a tough Phillies squad.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/atlanta-braves/braves-news-chris-sale-injury-update">Chris Sale’s return is a welcome sight for the Braves</a>. Before his injury, he was one of Atlanta’s most reliable starters, showing flashes of his dominant form. The veteran southpaw brings postseason experience and a proven ability to handle high-pressure situations. The Braves’ pitching staff has been tested in his absence, but Sale’s presence immediately strengthens the rotation. Fans are eager to see how Chris Sale performs as the regular season enters a critical phase.</p><p>The upcoming Braves-Phillies matchup adds even more weight to Sale’s return. Philadelphia currently at the top of the division, and every game in this series could have major playoff implications. Snitker said that, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/atlanta-braves/braves-news-chris-sale-encouraging-rehab-start-looming-return">after Sale’s latest rehab start on August 24</a>, “We’ll see how he feels tomorrow. He’s been throwing a lot and feels good. So, that shouldn’t be a problem.” This shows the team is confident in his readiness, though his progress will still be monitored closely.</p><p>Atlanta’s offense has been carrying the load recently, but having Sale back on the mound gives the team better balance. With a dependable arm returning to the rotation, the Braves are in a stronger position to challenge one of their biggest division rivals. For a team with championship aspirations, getting Sale healthy at this point of the season could not have come at a better time.</p><p>The Braves will be counting on Chris Sale to deliver right away. A strong outing against the Phillies could set the tone for the series and provide the momentum Atlanta needs for the weeks ahead.</p><p>With the Braves clawing for every inch in the wild card race, can Sale’s return spark the push they desperately need?</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Braves receives big Chris Sale boost before Phillies clash

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/philadelphia-phillies/phillies-news-nick-castellanos-braves-runner-insane-throw');   ga('set', 'title', 'Nick Castellanos picks off Braves runner with insane throw');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Nick-Castellanos.jpg"><figcaption>Patrick Gorski-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Nick Castellanos picks off Braves runner with insane throw</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-08-29T18:29:56-07:00">August 29th, 6:29pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-08-29T18:39:22-07:00">August 29th, 6:39pm</time><address><a>Mike Gianakos</a>Mike Gianakos is the former editor-in-chief of High Times magazine, where he also spearheaded the video department and event production. He is a longtime podcaster and even longer suffering NY Jets fan.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Atlanta Braves</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Nick Castellanos wasn’t invited to the Philadelphia Phillies home run party in the series opener against the Atlanta Braves. The Phillies started with a <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/philadelphia-phillies/phillies-news-3-home-run-inning-vs-braves">three-homer inning</a> in the first and finished with a franchise record-tying seven bombs. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/philadelphia-phillies/phillies-news-phillies-tie-record-amid-kyle-schwarber-4-hr-night">Kyle Schwarber added four homers</a> on his own in an offensive eruption.</p><p>But following the wild 19-4 victory, Philadelphia found itself in a pitchers’ duel Friday where every run counted. And Castellanos, who got a rest day Thursday, made up for missing the home run derby with a clutch defensive effort.</p><p>With the game tied 1-1 in the top of the fifth, Phillies All-Star starter Ranger Suarez got into a jam. The Braves had runners on first and third with one out and Marcell Ozuna at the plate. Atlanta’s DH ripped an 87 mph cutter to right field and Castellanos made the grab with his momentum moving forward.</p><p>Matt Olson chose to test the veteran outfielder’s arm, tagging up on the play and attempting to score. But Castellanos <a href="https://x.com/TalkinBaseball_/status/1961581552833630298" rel="noopener">cut him down</a>, throwing a bullet from right that nailed the Braves first baseman at home. Backup catcher Rafael Marchan did a nice job making the catch in front of home plate and spinning around to tag Olson, completing the double play.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Nick Castellanos nails Matt Olson at the plate! <a href="https://t.co/TFjgziyP2n">pic.twitter.com/TFjgziyP2n</a></p><p>— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) <a href="https://twitter.com/TalkinBaseball_/status/1961581552833630298?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 30, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><h2><b>Phillies win defensive showdown after offensive eruption</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Nick-Castellanos-2.jpg"><figcaption>Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>The Phillies came to Atlanta on a mission after getting swept by the Mets and shut out in the series finale behind a <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/new-york-mets/mets-news-carlos-mendozas-reaction-nolan-mclean-gem">strong performance by rookie Nolan McLean</a>. The team’s offensive outpouring on Thursday appeared cathartic.</p><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/philadelphia-phillies/phillies-news-insider-philadelphia-braves-clash">Phillies were looking for a statement game</a> and they got one, pummeling Braves starter Cal Quantrill for nine runs in 3.1 innings. But Atlanta rebounded for Game 2. Bryce Elder was excellent, allowing one run on three hits and two walks over seven innings.</p><p>But the Braves replaced Elder with Dylan Lee in the bottom of the eighth and the Phillies took advantage. Schwarber got on base with a one-out single and moved to third on Bryce Harper’s base hit. Alec Bohm then delivered the go-ahead run for Philadelphia with a sacrifice fly to right. Schwarber scored, putting the Phillies up 2-1.</p><p>Closer Jhoan Duran came on in the top of the ninth inning and slammed the door on Atlanta. The Phillies have one back-to-back games following the sweep in New York and maintain a five-game lead in the NL East.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Nick Castellanos picks off Braves runner with insane throw

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/atlanta-braves/braves-news-atlanta-makes-roster-moves-after-embarrassing-loss-to-phillies');   ga('set', 'title', 'Braves make roster moves after embarrassing loss to Phillies');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Atlanta-makes-roster-moves-after-embarrassing-loss-to-Phillies.jpg"><figcaption>Credit: Rick Osentoski</figcaption></figure><h1>Braves make roster moves after embarrassing loss to Phillies</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-08-29T09:36:53-07:00">August 29th, 9:36am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-08-29T14:30:22-07:00">August 29th, 2:30pm</time><address><a href="https://www.facebook.com/chris.spiering.3" rel="facebook">Chris Spiering</a>Chris Spiering graduated from the University of San Diego with a Communication Studies Degree. He spent his final year as the Sports Editor for the USDVista newspaper. Chris manages the betting team at ClutchPoints and contributes about the NFL, MLB, and NBA, but he follows most sports, including NCAA Basketball. Chris also covers San Diego State men's basketball for East Village Times.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Atlanta Braves</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/philadelphia-phillies/phillies-news-3-home-run-inning-vs-braves">Atlanta Braves</a> are hoping the 2025 MLB season will end as quickly as possible.</p><p>Things have just not gone their way, ultimately, since October of last season, when the San Diego Padres swept the Braves in the NL Wild Card. The Braves then opened the season right where they ended last year at Petco Park in San Diego for a four-game series. The Padres swept them again. Atlanta then got swept by the Los Angeles Dodgers and started the season 0-7. They have been trying to climb back ever since.</p><p>Thursday night may have put the nail in the coffin. The Braves started the game against the Philadelphia Phillies, going up 3-0 in the first inning. The Phillies then scored 15 unanswered runs and 19 total to win 19-4. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/philadelphia-phillies/phillies-news-phillies-tie-record-amid-kyle-schwarber-4-hr-night">Kyle Schwarber smashed four home runs</a> in the win as there was absolutely nothing the Braves could do to halt their power.</p><p>That was just an opener of a four-game series. The Braves are hoping they can bounce back quickly, or they could be in for a long series. On Friday, they <a href="https://x.com/Braves/status/1961437151477805242" rel="noopener">made some roster moves</a>.</p><p>“The Braves today selected RHP John Brebbia to the major league roster and recalled RHP Nathan Wiles to Atlanta, after optioning LHP Austin Cox and RHP Wander Suero to Triple-A Gwinnett following last night’s game.”</p><p>John Brebbia has been in the league since 2017 when he was called up by the St. Louis Cardinals. He spent time with the Giants, White Sox, Braves, and Tigers. He was DFA’d by the Tigers earlier this season. In his career, he has a 4.00 ERA, 1.24 WHIP, and has 408 strikeouts in 373 appearances. The Braves are hoping he can be a solid bullpen arm for them to finish the season.</p><p>Nathan Wiles returns to the Braves hoping to seriously improve off of his one and only inning in the big leagues. He appeared in relief in late April against the Cardinals but allowed three runs and four hits in one inning. He did strike out one hitter, which is a good sign, but Wiles and the Braves have some tough opponents on their schedule, and they must get it together quickly, or things will get worse.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Braves make roster moves after embarrassing loss to Phillies

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/philadelphia-phillies/phillies-news-phillies-tie-record-amid-kyle-schwarber-4-hr-night');   ga('set', 'title', 'Phillies tie unreal record amid Kyle Schwarber’s 4-HR night');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Kyle-Schwarber-1-1.jpg"></figure><h1>Phillies tie unreal record amid Kyle Schwarber’s 4-HR night</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-08-29T00:21:07-07:00">August 29th, 12:21am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-08-29T00:22:43-07:00">August 29th, 12:22am</time><address><a>Brayden Haena</a>Brayden Haena is an Associate Editor at ClutchPoints. He's a die-hard San Francisco Giants fan and a football fanatic. In addition to sports writing, he works for Arizona Football in the Player Personnel and Recruiting department and formerly served as the Defensive Coordinator for Heritage High School.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Atlanta Braves</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Kyle Schwarber has always been known for his thunderous swing, but Thursday night at Citizens Bank Park, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/philadelphia-phillies/phillies-news-kyle-schwarber-trails-babe-ruth-mark-mcgwire-mlb-history-4-hr-game">he delivered one of the greatest power displays in Phillies history</a> — and nearly Major League history.</p><p>The 32-year-old slugger <a href="https://x.com/BNightengale/status/1961234651173065182" rel="noopener">joined an exclusive club</a>, becoming just the 21st player to ever hit four home runs in a single game. His barrage carried the Phillies to a 19-4 demolition of the Braves, a win that also tied a franchise record with seven total homers in a single game.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/philadelphia-phillies/phillies-kyle-schwarber-crushes-third-home-run-during-braves-demolition">Schwarber wasted no time getting started.</a> He launched a 450-foot solo blast in the first inning, then went deep again for a two-run shot in the fourth. In the fifth, he crushed a three-run homer to the opposite field, and in the seventh, he made it four with another three-run blast. That gave him 49 homers on the season, already a career high and within striking distance of Ryan Howard’s 2006 franchise record of 58.</p><p>By the end of the night, Schwarber had nine RBIs — the most in a game in Phillies history — and his helmet was already ticketed for Cooperstown.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">KYLE SCHWARBER HITS HIS 4TH HR OF THE NIGHT 😱</p><p>His 49th on the season!</p><p>The Phillies lead the Braves 18-4 🤯<a href="https://t.co/enozVTmiBl">pic.twitter.com/enozVTmiBl</a></p><p>— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) <a href="https://twitter.com/ClutchPoints/status/1961234625491239411?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 29, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><h2><b>Kyle Schwarber continues to crush the baseball in 2025</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Kyle-Schwarber-2-1.jpg"><figcaption>Kyle Ross-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>“It’s exciting. You can’t expect you’re going to hit a home run every time,” Schwarber said. “But it just cooperated tonight. Got some pitches, put some good swings on it, and that was the result.”</p><p>For a brief moment, the ballpark held its breath. Schwarber came to the plate in the eighth with a chance to do something no one in MLB history had ever done: hit five homers in a game. Facing Braves infielder Vidal Bruján, who was lobbing 57 mph pitches, Schwarber popped up. He laughed later that he “stinks against position players,” admitting he knew the chance at history had slipped away.</p><p>Still, four was plenty. Schwarber joined Phillies legends Mike Schmidt (1976), Chuck Klein (1936) and Ed Delahanty (1896) as the only players in club history to pull off the feat. Manager Rob Thomson believed a fifth was possible. “I thought he was going to do it. No doubt in my mind,” he said.</p><p>Teammates raved about the simplicity of Schwarber’s swing, with Trea Turner calling it “perfect for homers.” Even Aaron Nola admitted he thought Schwarber might pull off the impossible. Schwarber entered the night hitless in his last 20 at-bats and mired in his worst month of the season. By the seventh inning, he was standing at the plate admiring his fourth homer of the night as if the slump had never happened.</p><p>The Phillies’ slugger now leads the majors with 119 RBIs and sits atop the NL home run leaderboard. With September looming and the Phillies holding a five-game NL East lead, his pursuit of Howard’s record is set to become must-watch baseball. “Four homers and nine RBIs — that’s an unbelievable night,” Nola said. “The guy’s having a year for the ages.”</p><p>For one night, Schwarber was not just the heart of the Phillies lineup — he was the heartbeat of baseball history.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

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