Braves Report: No respect, no respect at all

Breaking news: Things have gotten rather unpleasant for the Bravos. (Of course, not as unpleasant as they have for the Mets, who parted ways with manager Carlos Mendoza this morning.)

But before we get to the *gestures wildly* of it all, let’s turn to friend and beat writer Chad Bishop for a look at some guys who might be out for a bit of revenge this weekend in San Francisco.

PAYBACK IN THE BAY?

Dominic Smith (left) and Mike Yastrzemski celebrate an early June win together. (Erik S. Lesser/AP)

By Chad Bishop, Braves beat writer

Baseball players switch teams all the time, whether by choice or not. In every series across MLB on any given day, one can find a player competing against his former team or visiting a stadium he once called his home park.

But this weekend in San Francisco the Braves will have FOUR former Giants taking the field at Oracle Park, three of which spent a significant part of their careers in the Bay Area. Here’s a closer look:

• Mike Yastrzemski: Yastrzemski was an Orioles draft pick in 2013. He was traded to the Giants in March 2019 for Tyler Herb, a pitcher who never made it to the big leagues. Yastrzemski made his MLB debut for the Giants on May 25, 2019, and then played 789 more games for the organization before being traded July 31 to the Royals for Yunior Marte (a pitcher who has not made it past Double-A ball).
• Joey Bart: In 2018, the Giants made Bart the No. 2 overall pick in that year’s MLB draft. A little more than two years later he made his MLB debut for the team in a game against the Angels in San Francisco. Bart played just 162 games for the Giants between 2020 and 2023 before being traded in April 2024 to Pittsburgh for minor league relief pitcher Austin Strickland.
• Mauricio Dubón: Dubón found himself a member of the Giants on the last day of July 2019 when he was traded from the Brewers in exchange for Drew Pomeranz and Ray Black. Black’s career ended in 2020, and Pomeranz is in the Angels bullpen. Dubón appeared in 177 games with the Giants before they dealt him to the Astros in 2022 for catcher Michael Papierski, who last played in 2024 in Triple-A.
• Dominic Smith: Smith spent last season with the Giants and played 63 games with the club. He signed with the organization in June 2025 and hit .284 with 33 RBIs and five homers. He has six home runs and 31 RBIs in 64 games with the Braves.

Will the aforementioned quartet be a little extra motivated to show out this weekend on the banks of McCovey Cove? Of course they will.

And if they say otherwise, they’re not to be believed.

📲 Merci, Monsieur Bishop. This weekend’s games from San Fran start at 10:15, 9:05 and 4:05 p.m., respectively. All on BravesVision.

After Reynaldo Lopez’s start tonight, Bryce Elder and Chris Sale will face off with Giants aces Logan Webb and Robbie Ray.

ARE YOU A BRAVES TRIVIA ALL-STAR?

OK, one more thing before we get to the unpleasantness: Trivia!

Our latest monthly Braves quiz is out now, and I figured I’d give you a freebie here — but you gotta scroll allllll the way to the bottom of the newsletter for the answer.

Also, you know, actually click through and take the quiz.

Deal? Here it goes …

🤔 If selected in 2026, Braves second baseman Ozzie Albies would become a four-time All-Star. Who’s the only other second baseman with at least three appearances as a Brave?

• A. Felix Millan
• B. Glenn Hubbard
• C. Mark Lemke
• D. Dan Uggla

PITCHING ISSUES … AND ANOTHER POTENTIAL TARGET

Reynaldo Lopez (left) hashes things out with catcher Drake Baldwin during a recent relief appearance. (Erik S. Lesser/AP)

Remember when everyone was freaking out about the Braves not adding a starting pitcher in the offseason, and then calmed down a bit after the existing staff got off to a blazing hot start?

Well … don’t panic. But we’re certainly trending toward that first part again.

From Mr. Bishop’s recent piece on the subject:

🙂 In April, Braves starters went 13-4 with a 3.01 ERA.

🤨 In May, some red flags began to be raised when that group went 9-9 with a 3.52 ERA.

🫠 June? Braves starting pitchers are 6-9 with an ERA of 5.43.

Just about everyone has fallen apart, either physically or statistically. Even Sale can’t last six innings of late.

• Reynaldo Lopez returning to the rotation after a couple months on Bullpen Island certainly isn’t the answer (and manager Walt Weiss said to expect “somewhat of a piggyback situation” tonight in San Francisco). But it could be an answer … and I tend to think he’ll be just fine.
• Young Hurston Waldrep, his elbow now free of loose bodies, is likely on the near horizon, as well. Braves should slot him right in as soon as possible, far as I’m concerned.

But what about the long term?

We’ve talked a lot about a trade for Tigers ace Tarik Skubal. That remains unlikely, so the AJC’s Gabe Burns went deep on another potential target: Minnesota’s Joe Ryan.

The veteran righty is having a career season, posting a 3.18 ERA through 17 starts. He’s also cheap, and would remain under club control through next season.

🔎 Read the rest of the story (which also mentions a few other possibilities) and let us know what you think.

RIVAL WATCH, FOUR-GAME DIVISION LEAD EDITION

Felt like a good time to check in with the rest of the National League East.

🔔 Phillies (45-36, 4 games back): They’ve fully recovered from their spring swoon, posting a 33-17 mark since the start of May … and beating the Nationals three straight times in the ninth.

One thing to watch: Kyle Schwarber’s recent scratches with back tightness.