All-Star outfielder Ronald Acuna was out of the Braves’ lineup again Wednesday. Acuna was scratched before Tuesday’s game after experiencing left-wrist soreness.
“We should know something this evening,” manager Brian Snitker said during his daily 4 p.m. Zoom conference. Acuna was undergoing tests, including an MRI and CT scan, during the meeting.
Snitker hadn’t spoken with Acuna on Wednesday, so he didn’t know if the 22-year-old was feeling any better than he was on Tuesday, when he was removed from the lineup 90 minutes before first pitch in New York.
The Braves handled their Acuna-less lineup Wednesday the same as the day before. Shortstop Dansby Swanson was shifted into the lead-off spot. Travis d’Arnaud served as the designated hitter and was moved up to Swanson’s vacated second slot.
Snitker’s confidence in Swanson hasn’t wavered despite the player finally cooling off from a hot start. Since his last multi-hit game Aug. 4, Swanson has hit .083 (2-for-24) across his past seven games.
D’Arnaud, however, has been hitting quite well, slashing .375/.375/.708 with four extra-base hits and four RBIs over a six-game hitting streak.
“Dansby is swinging the bat pretty good,” Snitker said. “Just as far as solid contact, he’s been swinging the bat very well. And I like Travis up there. We’re getting his bat up there as much as we can because he’s swinging it well too.”
Notes from Wednesday:
- The Braves haven’t decided whether right-hander Touki Toussaint will start Sunday in Miami or Monday when the team returns home against the Nationals. If Monday, the Braves would be giving Toussaint an extra day of rest, a possibility afforded by Thursday’s off day.
Whichever day Toussaint doesn’t pitch, the Braves could turn to another bullpen game. They already orchestrated one Sunday in a win against the Phillies, and they are trying it again Wednesday, when Huascar Ynoa starts against the Yankees.
Kyle Wright and Max Fried will pitch the first two games against the Marlins on Friday and Saturday, respectively. The Braves haven’t set any plans beyond that.
Such is life with a dwindled rotation that’s down to Fried, Toussaint and Wright as traditional starters. Snitker is open-minded about executing bullpen games more regularly, a strategy that’s quickly becoming more necessity than luxury for the team.
“If it works, it’s something we may have to do,” he said. “We need some cooperation out of other starts to be in position to do that. We’re fortunate with the off day tomorrow that it lines up right now. It’s going to be determined by how we get to that point and how your bullpen is beat up or ready to go for a situation like this.”
- When Wednesday’s game finishes, the Braves will have completed a 20-game stretch to begin their season. That is, of course, one-third of the 60-game campaign. The Braves will spend the day off sequestered at a hotel in South Florida.
“That’s the biggest thing, you get a mental break for a day,” Snitker said. “The bad part is you’re going to Florida. It’s a hotbed and you don’t really want to get out of your hotel. But it’ll be good for them just to have a break, relax and rest, especially mentally. These three weeks are a long time when you start out like we did. It’ll be good for them.”
- Wright’s start Friday will be Miami’s first home game at Marlins Park this season. The Marlins opened the campaign in Philadelphia, had six games postponed due to a COVID-19 outbreak, then returned to play four against the Orioles in Baltimore. The Marlins were the designated “home team” in two of those games.
The Marlins, who have lost three in a row, lead the National League East with a 7-4 record entering Wednesday. The Braves were 11-8, meaning their .579 winning percentage trailed the Marlins’ at .636.
Wright complimented Miami’s new-look lineup, which features a mix of veterans and upstarts. The Marlins acquired a haul of veterans over the winter, including Jesus Aguilar, Matt Joyce, Corey Dickerson, Francisco Cervelli and Jonathan Villar.
“They have a good, talented lineup,” Wright said. “They’ve swung it well so far this year. It’s definitely a little bit different than what I saw last year. I guess it’s a lot different than the lineup I saw last year. Just have to continue to pitch. Those guys can hit. I just have to execute and give us a chance to win.”
