Braves News: Dansby Swanson Returns to Atlanta, Alex Anthopolous discusses postseason, more

Atlanta enjoyed their final off-day of the season on Monday as they returned home after winning three out of four games in Washington. The focus for the Braves now turns to securing home field advantage throughout the MLB Playoffs. However, that task will not be easy as Atlanta will welcome the Cubs to Truist Park, with Chicago also looking to secure a playoff spot as one of the three NL Wild Card teams.

Of course, the other big storyline of the series will be the return of Dansby Swanson to Atlanta for the first time since joining the Cubs last offseason. Swanson has had a good first season for the Cubs, as he is on the cusp of producing his second straight 5+ fWAR season in a row. During his time with the Braves, Swanson was one of the best shortstops in franchise history, and played a significant role in the Braves winning the 2021 World Series. It will be fun to see Swanson experience a deserved welcome back to Atlanta on Tuesday night.

Braves News

• Braves manager Alex Anthopolous discussed many regular season and postseason topics for the Braves with MLB.com.
• The Braves reinstated Ehire Adrianza from the injured list and designated him for assignment.
• Ken Rosenthal looks at the Braves pitching concerns entering the postseason.
• In a round up of many end of the year topics, Jeff Passan weighs in on the NL MVP discussion.
• Kris Willis looks at what the Braves NLDS roster could look like after Charlie Morton’s injury.

MLB News

• Houston secured its grip on an AL Wild Card spot as Justin Verlander was excellent in a win over the Astros.
• The Rangers beat the Angels in their own march toward the AL Playoffs.
• MLB.com takes a look at all the important matchups for today that could impact the NL and AL Playoff pictures.
• Mike Trout plans to be ready to go for the Angels once the 2024 season begins.