Notes: Acuña Jr. back in lineup for NL WCS
ATLANTA -- Braves manager Brian Snitker calmed some nerves when he said Ronald Acuña Jr. will be at the top of the lineup and Chris Martin will be available out of the bullpen when the National League Wild Card Series against the Reds begins on Wednesday afternoon.
“Health is going to play a big part,” Braves first baseman Freddie Freeman said. “We all knew whoever was the healthiest would kind of be the strongest team going into [the postseason]. We’re pretty much all healthy.”
Given how Freeman struggled after entering last year’s postseason limited by his right elbow, Braves fans definitely didn’t want to go through something similar with Acuña, who was scratched from Sunday’s lineup with left wrist irritation.
Shop for postseason gear: “He’s fine,” Snitker said. “He didn’t have anything that was going to prohibit him from leading off tomorrow.”
Yes, it’s comforting for the Braves to know Acuña will be in the lineup to face top NL Cy Young Award candidate Trevor Bauer on Wednesday. But the 22-year-old outfielder might not be discomfort free until the offseason. He says his left wrist has occasionally bothered him dating back to August, when he spent two weeks on the injured list with left wrist inflammation.
“It’s not anything that has been unbearable or painful the whole time,” Acuña said. “It’s just something that I’ve noticed and I can feel it lingering. So really to me it’s more of a mental aspect. It’s something that you have to push through and tolerate and not allow to affect your play.”
Acuña hit .245 with 10 homers and a 1.055 OPS over the 28 games he played after returning from the injured list. The Braves are hoping he can continue to provide similar production while dealing with the lingering wrist discomfort.
“I don’t think it’s anything severe in aspect,” Acuña said. “It’s just something I know is there and that I can feel a little bit. It’s nothing that would sideline me or anything like that.”
This browser does not support the video element.
Martin update
When Martin carefully walked off the field after throwing just four pitches in Sunday’s series regular-season finale against the Red Sox, Braves fans couldn’t help but think about what happened after he strained his left oblique while warming up to pitch the eighth inning of Game 1 of last year’s NL Division Series.
But thoughts of going through yet another postseason round without Martin evaporated on Monday, when the 6-foot-8 reliever returned to Truist Park and informed the training staff his right groin muscle was no longer bothering him.
“He’s going to be ready to go tomorrow,” Snitker said. “When he came in yesterday, I think he was surprised at how good he felt. I’m glad he said something, because if he had stayed out there, it would have been really bad.”
Martin has allowed just eight hits while producing a 1.00 ERA over 18 innings (19 appearances) this year. His healthy presence could prove quite beneficial as the bullpen will likely carry a heavy load as the Braves account for the uncertainty within their rotation.
This browser does not support the video element.
Well-rested Fried
When Max Fried threw a side session and live batting practice on Sunday, he was testing the left ankle he had rolled while fielding a bunt against the Marlins last Wednesday. At the same time, he was making up for some of the time he lost over the past few weeks.
When Fried makes his first career postseason start on Wednesday, the primary concern is that he has totaled just six innings over the past three weeks. The lefty went on the injured list after his lower back began to bother him during his Sept. 5 start against the Nationals. He was slated to make two starts after returning. But the second of those starts lasted just one inning because of the left ankle ailment.
“I might not have as many innings as I would have liked coming into this,” Fried said. “But I’ve been able to throw the ball every single day. In terms of my touch and my feel, I still feel it’s there. I’m feeling really confident and I’m feeling really good right now. So as far as rust, I’m not too worried about it.”
Snitker said the feel of the game will dictate how far Fried progresses through Game 1.
“I think our eyes will tell us where he’s at,” Snitker said. “I think he’ll be forthright with us. If he can go five innings, that would be great.”
Riley update
Austin Riley missed the regular season’s final two games because of a tight right quad, but the third baseman is expected to be in Wednesday’s lineup.
“He’s been hitting every day,” Snitker said. “I don’t know if he’ll be a hundred percent when we start the game tomorrow, but he’s going to be good enough to go.”