Happy Monday, folks.
The Braves are sitting on a five-game winning streak.
Are we having fun again?
THE SERIES AHEAD
A six-game homestand is here. First up: The Chicago White Sox.
📺 How to watch: All three games — tonight, Tuesday and Wednesday — start at 7:15 p.m. on FanDuel Sports.
- Tuesday is another Spencer Strider vinyl record giveaway for the first 15,000 fans through the gate. More info here.
⚾ The pitching matchups: In chronological order ...
- Spencer Strider (5-10, 4.69) vs. Yoendrys Gomez (2-1, 5.56)
- Bryce Elder (5-9, 5.89) vs. Shane Smith (3-7, 4.01)
- Hurston Waldrep (3-0, 1.02) vs. Aaron Civale (3-8, 4.88)
📝 The scouting report: The White Sox are bad — 12 or so games worse than the Braves bad. They just got swept by the Royals and have won four games in August. On a positive note, shortstop prospect Colson Montgomery has 10 homers since Chicago called him up last month.
Strider, of course, is coming off one of the worst starts of his career: eight earned runs in four innings against the Mets.
ON THE UPSWING
There’s lot to like about the Braves lately.
They’re scoring runs. Mounting successful comebacks. Even winning one-run games.
As our friend Michael Cunningham writes in his Weekend Reflections column, how the Braves finish out this dismal campaign has real implications for 2026.
That’s true for guys like Michael Harris II (still hot), Ozzie Albies (maybe coming around a bit?) and tonight’s starting pitcher, Spencer Strider (struggling). Ending on the right foot means starting on the right foot — or at least not worrying about it all offseason.
Then there’s Jurickson Profar.
The outfielder who missed 80 games while suspended for performance-enhancing drugs has as much to prove as any Brave — and a key role to play in 2026 too, especially if the team keeps Ronald Acuña Jr. in the three-hole.
So how’s he doing?
🤔 Profar’s season stats still aren’t anything to gawk at: .246 average, .350 on-base percentage, seven homers.
🤔 That said: In his last 15 games, Profar is slashing a more robust .291/.443/.582.
🤔 He’s scored 13 runs and driven in 10 more.
That’s the type of productivity the Braves expected when they signed Profar in the offseason. And doing it from the leadoff spot has certainly helped drive Atlanta’s offensive awakening.
(Profar goofed up one fly ball on Sunday, but all was forgiven after his sixth-inning homer put the Braves ahead for good. His diving catch in the ninth helped, too.)
I have the emails to prove that lots of Braves Report readers don’t want anything to do with Profar moving forward. Which is fair.
But the guy is under contract for two more years at a reasonable price, so get used to seeing his name in the lineup.
And hopefully on the basepaths, too.
SALE GETS ANOTHER START
The Triple-A Gwinnett Stripers won 6-5 on Sunday, with designated hitter Eddys Leonard both tying the game in the eighth and walking it off in the ninth.
More important: Braves ace Chris Sale got his second rehab start in, throwing 56 pitches while surrendering one earned run across four innings.
📈 No official announcement yet, but previous indications were he’ll need at least one more minor league appearance to ramp that pitch count up before returning to the majors.
PHOTO OF THE DAY
Wanna buy some game-worn cleats? Several Braves put their custom Players Weekend kicks up for auction, with net proceeds going to charity.
As you might’ve guessed, the money from Albies’ cleats will go toward pet rescue initiatives.
MORE GOOD EATS EN ROUTE
The Battery Atlanta just announced its latest new restaurant: J. Alexander’s.
The “fine-dining restaurant known for its wood-fired grill, fresh seafood, exceptional steaks, chef-curated entrees and signature cocktails” is slated to open near CRU Food & Wine Bar, not far from the Red Deck.
You’ll have to wait until 2026, though.
Thanks for reading Braves Report. Tell a friend — and maybe give the AJC’s Sports Daily newsletter a shot, too.
Until next time.
About the Author
Before taking over the AJC's Sports Daily newsletter, Tyler Estep spent two years writing the A.M. ATL newsletter. A Gwinnett County native and University of Georgia graduate, he has been with the AJC since 2015 and previously worked as a reporter on the breaking news, hyperlocal and local government teams.
