It goes without saying that the 2021 season has not been kind to the Atlanta Braves so far. Atlanta saw an eighth inning lead slip away Tuesday in a 6-5 loss to the Washington Nationals dropping them to 0-4 on the season. It is way too early to panic, but offensive regression along with less depth in the bullpen are early reasons for concern.
The good news is, Ronald Acuña Jr. homered twice Tuesday and hopefully a hot streak can jumpstart the offense and end this road trip on a good note. Atlanta will play a pair of seven-inning games in a doubleheader against the Nationals on Wednesday. Max Fried will get the start in Game 1 while Huascar Ynoa will be on the mound in Game 2 in what is being categorized as a bullpen game.
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Prior to Tuesday’s game, the Braves acquired infielder Orlando Arcia from the Milwaukee Brewers in hopes that he can provide some more depth for the bench. Atlanta sent right-handers Chad Sobotka and Patrick Weigel to Milwaukee to complete the deal. Atlanta optioned Arcia to the alternate training site Tuesday as he will have to undergo intake screening before he will be eligible to join the active roster.
MLB News
Padres shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr. is headed to the injured list with an injured shoulder but the news could have been much worse. Tatis suffered a partial dislocation of his left shoulder on a swing Monday night. He underwent further tests including an MRI and it was determined that surgery will not be necessary. Currently there is no timeline for his return but surgery would have likely ended his season.
Major League Baseball announced Tuesday that the 2021 All-Star Game will be held at Coors Field in Denver, Colorado.
The Texas Rangers traded infielder Rougned Odor to the New York Yankees Tuesday in exchange for outfielders Josh Stowers and Antonio Cabello. Odor had been designated for assignment by the Rangers prior to Opening Day.
It has been a rough few days for the Tampa Bay Rays as well. The team placed reliever Chaz Roe on the injured list Monday with a shoulder strain that is likely to keep him out at least three months. On Tuesday, the Rays placed outfielder Kevin Kiermaier on the 10-day injured list due to a left quad strain. Kiermaier had been dealing with the quad dating back to spring training.
The Colorado Rockies announced plans to retire the No. 33 of Larry Walker in a ceremony later this summer.
USA Baseball named Mike Scioscia its manager for the 2021 Professional National Team. He will be looking to lead Team USA to a berth in the Tokyo Olympic Games this summer.