ATLANTA -- With newcomers like Adam Duvall, the Braves now have enough firepower to briefly persevere without Freddie Freeman. But as they attempt to extend their recent surge, they are comforted to know that Freeman and Travis d’Arnaud should both return to the lineup on Tuesday.

Freeman felt strong enough to make a late-inning return to action, and Duvall drilled a key home run during the three-run sixth inning that gave the Braves a 5-4 win over the Nationals at Truist Park on Sunday afternoon.

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As for d’Arnaud, he spent the day catching for Triple-A Gwinnett and contributed a walk-off single. The Braves haven’t officially said that the veteran catcher will be activated on Tuesday, but that is the expectation.

“Once we get Travis back, we’re going to have a pretty good hitter hitting eighth,” Braves manager Brian Snitker said. “I think it’s going to be a pretty good lineup.”

With their sixth win in their past eight games, the Braves now sit two games behind the first-place Phillies and a half-game in front of the now-third-place Mets in the National League East. Atlanta has won consecutive series and would have swept consecutive three-game sets had closer Will Smith not surrendered a two-out, two-run homer in the ninth inning of Saturday’s 3-2 loss.

Smith’s blown save may have been avoided had Freeman not been forced to exit Saturday’s game in the first inning because of an upper respiratory infection. The reigning National League MVP felt better on Sunday and was inserted to play first base during a double switch in the seventh inning.

“I talked to him this morning before he got there and I told him, ‘We're gonna need you,’” Snitker said. “Really, it was kind of a perfect storm right there to get him in.”

Freeman’s return came an inning after the Braves constructed their three-run sixth with Austin Riley’s opposite-field RBI double and Duvall’s two-run homer off Patrick Corbin. Atlanta’s only runs through the first five innings came via Ozzie Albies’ two-run homer in the third.

Albies has slumped since the start of July, much like he did during a cold stretch following his 2018 All-Star selection. So, it was encouraging for the Braves to see the second baseman show some life with his bat. But the .665 OPS the switch-hitter has produced over his past 33 games still creates reason to question whether he’s the best fit at leadoff, especially against right-handed starters.

Determining whether to use Albies or Joc Pederson as their primary leadoff hitter is one of the Braves’ few lineup concerns. They have averaged 5.5 runs per game over the nine games played since Duvall joined the lineup on July 30.

“I can’t say enough [about Duvall],” Snitker said. “It’s so reassuring to me to see him out there. You don’t worry about him.”

With a pair of homers through his first nine games with the Braves, Duvall has bolstered a lineup that continues to get significant value from Riley. Atlanta’s everyday third baseman kept the sixth inning alive with his double against Corbin.

Riley has posted a 1.093 OPS over his past 27 games going back to July 7, but he’s had much more than just a short span of success. His .941 OPS over his past 96 games, dating back to April 18, is much more indicative of how impressive his season has been.

The Braves’ lineup features Albies, Jorge Soler, Freeman, Riley, Dansby Swanson and Duvall as its first six hitters. Pederson and d’Arnaud are a pair of power threats who will occupy the final two spots. On the days when Max Fried pitches, this truly might be the game’s best lineup, one through nine.

Albies’ two-run homer wouldn’t have happened had Fried not extended the third inning with a two-out single. The lefty pitcher improved his batting average to .324 (12-for-37) while allowing only one run on seven hits and a walk over six innings.

“I know that we're playing a lot better and we're playing kind of up to our capabilities,” Fried said. “Now, it's just about going out there and being consistent with it every single day. If we play a complete game, we'll probably win more than we lose.”