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<!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

2025 SEASON STATS
BA	HR	RBI	OPS	SB
.233	0	6	0.63	0

2025 SEASON STATS
BA	HR	RBI	OPS	SB
.233	0	6	0.63	0

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Alvarez

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