Following their heartbreaking loss to the Mariners on Sunday, the Braves trail the Mets by 1.5 games in the NL East. It’s going to come down to the wire, but regardless of whether Atlanta wins the division, they will be in the playoffs. So we are back with my second edition of the Braves’ potential playoff roster, and there are a couple of significant changes this week.
If you missed my first version, follow the link below
Starting Pitchers
In this edition, I left off Mike Soroka. I now think there is next to no chance we see him in the playoffs, and I’m starting to doubt we even see him in Atlanta at any point this season. As good as he looked in his first rehab assignment, things have slowed down in Gwinnett, and he has still yet to throw more than 80 pitches. I do think there’s a starting pitcher in Gwinnett that could potentially play a role for the Braves down the stretch and into the postseason, but that person is Kyle Muller, not Mike Soroka.
Bullpen
- Raisel Iglesias
- A.J. Minter
- Kenley Jansen
- Collin McHugh
- Tyler Matzek
- Kirby Yates
- Dylan Lee
- Jesse Chavez
- Jackson Stephens
Leaving Soroka off the roster opens up another spot for a bullpen arm, which I gave to Jackson Stephens. The rest of this group I left the same. I don’t expect much to change unless there is an injury or the Braves decide to give Kyle Muller a legitimate chance to make an impact.
Infielders
I kept this group the same, but I’m no longer completely sold on Albies returning this season. He’s 3-for-18 with a .334 OPS in Gwinnett since beginning his rehab assignment. I’m not terribly worried about the results, especially given the minuscule sample size, but we are running out of time for him to return, and it doesn’t look like it is happening soon. For now, I still think he will be included on the Braves playoff roster, but it is not a 100% certainty.
Catchers
Nothing to see here. These are the two catchers that will be on the Braves playoff roster.
Outfielders
- Ronald Acuña Jr.
- Michael Harris II
- Robbie Grossman
- Marcell Ozuna
- Eddie Rosario
The second tweak I made to the roster is adding Marcell Ozuna. A few weeks ago, you couldn’t have convinced me that Ozuna would be included on the Braves playoff roster, but it’s become evident they still feel like he brings something to the table, and he hasn’t been awful since being inserted back into the lineup. Given that Heredia serves almost no purpose other than his clubhouse presence, I think Ozuna will get the nod come October.
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Photo: David J. Griffin/Icon Sportswire
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