5 things to know about Braves opening day
The Braves opened their 2018 campaign against the Phillies on Thursday.
Noteworthy items about the pregame festivities and 25-man roster:
1) Braves and baseball legend Hank Aaron rode around the stadium before the ceremonial first pitch. The Braves put “Home run king” on the big screen as he circled the dirt.
2) Chipper Jones threw the ceremonial first pitch to Freddie Freeman. Jones was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame on the first ballot this year.
3) The Braves roster included 12 pitchers, three catchers, five infielders and five outfielders. Seven of the 25 wore a Braves uniform for the first time, while six experienced their first opening day. Ten players returned from the 2017 opening-day roster.
4) Nick Markakis played in his 13th opening day in the majors, a team-high. Freeman started his eighth consecutive opening day at first base, a team record for first basemen and tied for the third-longest streak at any position since the team moved to Atlanta.
5) Five players opened the season on the disabled list: Johan Camargo, Luiz Gohara, Jacob Lindgren, Chase Whitley and Grant Dayton. Neither Lindgren nor Dayton will pitch this season, while the other three aren’t expected to miss significant time.
About the Author
Gabriel Burns is a general assignment reporter and features writer for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. After four years on the Braves beat, he's expanded his horizons and covers all sports. You'll find him writing about MLB, NFL, NBA, college football and other Atlanta-centric happenings.
