Braves Report: Back to the grind

The All-Star Game is over. The reality of an underwhelming Braves season has returned.

But hey: It’s baseball, baby. Try to enjoy it.

THE SERIES AHEAD

Credit: Abbey Cutrer/AJC

Credit: Abbey Cutrer/AJC

Braves-Yankees at Truist Park. Let’s get it.

📺 How to watch: Tonight’s and Saturday’s games both start at 7:15 p.m. on FanDuel and Peachtree TV. Sunday is a 1:35 p.m. FanDuel start.

⚾ The pitching matchups: In chronological order …

Former Brave Max Fried (blisters) may be on the shelf for a while for New York.

📝 The scouting report: Before the break, the Yankees (52-43) were riding quite a roller coaster: six straight losses, five straight wins and then two more Ls. They’re two games behind the AL East-leading Toronto Blue Jays.

GLASS HALF FULL

OK, friends. I know it’s hard, with the Braves being all “11 games under .500″ and “way out of the wild card race.”

Who knows what (if anything) will happen in the 13 days before the trade deadline.

But tell me: What are you looking forward to watching during the second half of the season? What makes you optimistic, rationally or otherwise?

I’ll go first. And I’ve got a couple.

1️⃣ After Austin Riley went down with a abdominal strain, Ronald Acuña Jr. hit third for a couple games. The results? A little mixed.

But with Riley out until at least next week, I’m hoping we get the chance to see Acuña closer to the middle of the lineup a bit longer. And who knows … maybe it’s finally time to move him down permanently, give him a better chance to drive in folks besides himself.

2️⃣ The Braves’ 105 team home runs this season are 14th best in the MLB. Which is OK, but a far cry from 2023’s eye-popping total (or even 2024’s more modest showing).

That said, Atlanta hit 12 home runs in its final five games before the All-Star break. Even a half-hearted return to form on the power front would make things more interesting to watch.

And I think it’s coming.

That’s about all I got at the moment. But send me your thoughts.

SPEAKING OF POWER …

Credit: Hyosub Shin/AJC

Credit: Hyosub Shin/AJC

Not sure I’ve mentioned Yankee slugger Aaron Judge’s ridiculous season in this space. Now feels like a pretty good time to do it!

Here’s a look at a few of his stats and where he ranks:

He’s the hands down favorite for American League MVP, which is crazy considering the numbers Cal “The Big Dumper” Raleigh is putting up for Seattle (he has narrow leads over Judge in those last two stats).

All that said: Don’t worry, Braves fans. Judge has cooled off a bit recently. He’s “only” hitting .280 with three home runs and 10 RBIs in his last seven games.

WHO’S JOEY WENTZ?

The Braves rotation is in tatters. Barring an unexpectedly dramatic move at the trade deadline, they figure to piecemeal things together for the foreseeable future.

Enter Joey Wentz, Saturday’s announced starter.

The most devout fans will remember that Wentz was originally a Braves prospect. The team traded him to Detroit as part of the deal for Shane Greene in 2019.

🎠 More from the pitching carousel: The Braves shipped reliever Jose Ruiz to the Rangers last night in exchange for cash and a guy named Dane Dunning, who’s already been added to the big league roster.

Jesse Chavez was designated for assignment (again).

PHOTO OF THE DAY

Credit: Jason Getz/AJC

Credit: Jason Getz/AJC

The Freeze torched this guy during Tuesday’s All-Star game. Wanna be his next victim?

For the first time ever, you can put your name in the digital hat instead of wrangling for attention at Truist Park. The sweepstakes runs through Aug. 2.

I’m all for a good lark — but please consider the state of your hamstrings and knee ligaments before entering.

Thanks for reading Braves Report. Tell a friend — and maybe give the AJC’s Sports Daily newsletter a shot, too.

Until next time.