Battery Power - July 16: Rays 7, Braves 6 (10 innings)Your one stop shop for everything Atlanta Braveshttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/52890/favicon-32x32..png2021-07-16T23:36:37-04:00http://www.batterypower.com/rss/stream/223439792021-07-16T23:36:37-04:002021-07-16T23:36:37-04:00Braves hit three homers, still lose 7-6 in extra innings
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<img alt="MLB: Tampa Bay Rays at Atlanta Braves" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/hvRJB9wW2xpdW_3ZI2CVC95E14A=/0x0:4130x2753/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/69594070/usa_today_16414870.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>The Braves led twice, but still lost the game.</p> <p id="3M4QPx">A lot of things happened in this game. Some were good. Some were bad. In the end, the Braves lost anyway. They climbed out of a deficit, they had two leads, they outhomered the Rays 3-1, and they lost. So it goes, as goes the season. I keep wanting to have one of these recaps be the equivalent of, “Hey, maybe the Braves are finally figuring it out,” because that would be much more enjoyable... but they aren’t. And now there’s one fewer game with which to make any kind of ascent up the standings. </p>
<p id="iCWYsj">The scoring started early in this one, as Charlie Morton had a nightmarish second inning. It started with hitting Austin Meadows with a pitch in a 2-0 count. Joey Wendle then hit a very routine bouncer (92.5 mph, 37 percent hit probability) that got under Freddie Freeman’s diving stab at first, and slowly rolled for a double. Kevin Kiermaier followed by hitting an outside, off-the-plate fastball against the shift for an RBI single, and Mike Zunino’s RBI groundout to third made it 2-0 in the Rays’ favor. Morton proceeded to issue two further walks in the frame, but got out of it with two more strikeouts. The Rays threatened again in the fourth, as Morton walked Zunino with one out and then gave up a double (misplayed in center by Guillermo Heredia) to Taylor Walls, but got out of it (strikeout, popout) with no further damage.</p>
<p id="GSTSu1">The Braves managed just a single and a walk against Tampa Bay starter Michael Wacha through three, but got to him in the fourth in a big way. Ozzie Albies drew a leadoff walk after falling behind 1-2, and Austin Riley absolutely unloaded on a cutter down the pipe, obliterating it to dead center to tie the game at 2-2. Two batters later, Dansby Swanson jumped on a very grooved 2-0 fastball and hit it out to left, and the Braves were suddenly ahead. </p>
<p id="5sKTcT">But, they weren’t ahead for long. Kind of for the minimum amount of time, really. Charlie Morton was sent back out for the fifth to face the bulk of the Rays’ order a third time, and immediately relinquished the lead, as Ji-Man Choi hit an opposite-field looping homer down the left-field line on Morton’s first pitch of the inning. Later, with two outs, the Rays strung together a couple of singles to bring Zunino up for the third time. Zunino nearly made the Braves pay dearly for leaving Morton in there with a towering fly ball to left, but it died just short of the fence for a harmless, yet terrifying, fly out.</p>
<p id="YOHLFn">The Rays, too, left Wacha in to face the order a third time... but pulled him immediately after a first-pitch leadoff single by Abraham Almonte. Wacha was relieved by J.P. Feyereisen, who was greeted, quite rudely, by a two-run shot of Freeman’s bat, the reigning NL MVP’s 20th longball of the season. The Braves went from ahead to tied to ahead, in whiplash fashion.</p>
<p id="TT7z2P">Morton was left in for the sixth and vindicated the choice with a 1-2-3 frame; Drew Rasmussen took over for the Rays and did the same in the bottom half. In the seventh, having thrown 107 pitches, Morton gave way to A.J. Minter, and things got hairy. With one out, uber-prospect Wander Franco hit a fairly routine fly to right that Almonte overran; the end result was a triple, and a 5-4 game when Meadows hit a sacrifice fly a few pitches later. Minter foundered after that, issuing two straight walks in a sequence that also involved a balk when he tripped while delivering a pitch. Luke Jackson came on and promptly hit Zunino with his very first pitch, loading the bases. But, the Braves escaped that frame with a lead, as Jackson got Walls to ground into the shift for the third out.</p>
<p id="fsLt3S">With Rasmussen still pitching, the Braves got that run back, as singles by Freeman, Riley, and Orlando Arcia made it a 6-4 game. But, then Chris Martin got handed the reins to the eighth with a plethora of lefties due up... and things went very south. In short:</p>
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<p id="vbKM3R">The kicker was that the game-tying single, the one off Wendle’s bat, was a high chopper against the shift that Wendle beat out. And it’s not like Martin was walking the park or giving up moonshots, so in another universe, a few more of those balls find gloves and the Rays don’t tie the game. But the Braves aren’t in that universe, they’re in the universe where Chris Martin’s plummeting strikeout rate punishes them, and thus the game was 6-6 headed into the bottom of the eighth, where the Braves were sat down 1-2-3 by old friend and extreme slider aficionado Matt Wisler.</p>
<p id="DK5yxk">Will Smith came on for the ninth and did not allow a run, though he almost did: the inning started with Zunino (again!) nearly homering, but the ball dying a few centimeters from the promised land beyond the fence. Smith struck out the other two batters, and the Braves were in walkoff territory against Wisler, but couldn’t convert. Freeman reached on an infield single, but Albies struck out. Freeman stole second, but Riley’s broken-bat flare to right wasn’t shallow enough to give Atlanta a walkoff win.</p>
<p id="Ntq7fJ">So, into the always-delightful (read: not delightful) Manfredball experience in extras. Jesse Chavez came on for the Braves, issued a four-pitch leadoff walk, but then retired the next two batters with no advance by the baserunners. That brought up Meadows, who ripped another liner into right, and the Braves were trailing again for the first time since the fourth. Chavez struck out Wendle on three pitches, but the damage was done. And it was damage the Braves wouldn’t recover from.</p>
<p id="nBsadP">Pete Fairbanks was the final pitcher on the ledger for Tampa Bay, and he retired the Braves in order. Arcia grounded to third, Swanson just missed a high, hanging slider and turned it into a flyout instead of a sexy walkoff homer, and that prompted pinch-hitter Joc Pederson to make his first appearance in a Braves uniform. Pederson didn’t really prolong the festivities (or agony), as he hit a first-pitch bouncer that turned into the game’s final out. So, the Braves are 44-46, and have once again lost consecutive games after reaching .500, for already the sixth time this season. Again, it’d be cool to have a recap where the Braves were on a roll, or got on a roll, or something, but it just isn’t forthcoming.</p>
<p id="LQrhs0">In the end, Charlie Morton had an okay start — three runs in six frames with an 8/3 K/BB ratio and a homer allowed — not dominant, but not awful, and worse than what he’s usually done this season. Freddie Freeman continued his awesome July with a 4-for-5 effort that included a homer and a stolen base. Austin Riley and Dansby Swanson padded their lines a bit with their longballs. That’s all kind of a sideshow, though. Que será, será and all that, and apparently, que será is that the Braves are going to continue treading water in a slowly-filling pool. Oh well.</p>
https://www.batterypower.com/2021/7/16/22581091/atlanta-braves-tampa-bay-rays-recap-final-score-7-6-extra-innings-loss-welpIvan the Great2021-07-16T18:50:00-04:002021-07-16T18:50:00-04:00GameThread, 7/16/2021: Rays @ Braves
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<figcaption>Photo by Mark Brown/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>Michael Wacha vs. Charlie Morton</p> <p id="98RfOx">The Braves begin the “second half” of their season tonight against the <a href="https://www.draysbay.com/">Tampa Bay Rays</a>. They’ve got infinite work to get back to contender-level relevance, and the linear flow of time and the season schedule is a definite obstacle. We’ll see what happens.</p>
<p id="t4dPjG">One thing of interest is what kind of start this will end up being for Michael Wacha. Is it a short stint, or a long one? Of course, if the Braves are getting blown out, there’s no harm to let Wacha keep pitching, but if things are close, I do wonder how many arms the Rays end up using in this game. </p>
<p id="c8VQ9p">Also, I did this entire game preview gamut until now without mentioning Wander Franco, uber-prospect. Anyway, he’s here, he’s hitting third for the Rays, he hasn’t really done much of anything so far. Hopefully that continues through this series, because the Braves have enough on their plate without getting wrecked by the potential second coming of Mike Trout.</p>
https://www.batterypower.com/2021/7/16/22580854/gamethread-7-16-2021-rays-bravesIvan the Great2021-07-16T17:50:46-04:002021-07-16T17:50:46-04:00Braves add Joc Pederson to active roster, option Johan Camargo to Gwinnett
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<p>Pederson won’t start Friday but will be available off the bench</p> <p id="u4pR9v">Joc Pederson won’t start Friday’s series opener against the <a href="https://www.draysbay.com/">Tampa Bay Rays</a> but he will be available off of the <a href="https://www.talkingchop.com/">Atlanta Braves</a>’ bench. <a href="https://www.talkingchop.com/2021/7/16/22580705/atlanta-braves-notes-joc-pederson-slot-into-leadoff-spot-ian-anderson-injury-update">Brian Snitker said during the pregame</a> that Pederson was in route and the hope was that he would arrive in time. That is apparently the case as the team announced that Pederson has been added to the active roster. Johan Camargo was optioned to Gwinnett to open a up a spot on the active roster. </p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">OF Joc Pederson is active for tonight’s game. In order to make room on the 26-man roster, the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Braves?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Braves</a> optioned INF/OF Johan Camargo to Triple-A Gwinnett.</p>— Atlanta Braves (@Braves) <a href="https://twitter.com/Braves/status/1416150599490473991?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 16, 2021</a>
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<p id="jnfDJI">The Braves acquired Pederson from the <a href="https://www.bleedcubbieblue.com/">Cubs</a> Thursday night in exchange for first base prospect Bryce Ball. Alex Anthopoulos said that Pederson would slot into right field replacing Ronald Acuña Jr. who was lost for the remainder of the season last weekend with a knee injury. Snitker said Friday that he will likely use Pederson in the leadoff spot at least initially. </p>
<p id="DDEXfc">Atlanta is beginning a critical stretch of games with the trade deadline just two weeks away. </p>
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https://www.batterypower.com/2021/7/16/22580799/atlanta-braves-roster-joc-pederson-added-johan-camargo-option-gwinnettKris Willis2021-07-16T17:04:18-04:002021-07-16T17:04:18-04:00Joc Pederson to slot into leadoff spot, Ian Anderson update and more
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<img alt="Atlanta Braves v Miami Marlins" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/uOc66uPNLBUWFzABQFEVShGGKxw=/0x0:3000x2000/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/69593185/1324608388.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Mark Brown/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>News and notes from Friday’s pregame media session</p> <p id="DkKYya">Joc Pederson won’t be in the <a href="https://www.talkingchop.com/">Atlanta Braves</a> lineup when they return to action Friday night against the <a href="https://www.draysbay.com/">Tampa Bay Rays</a>, but he could join the team and be available off the bench. Brian Snitker said during Friday’s pregame that Pederson was on a flight and they weren’t sure when he would arrive. </p>
<p id="t0yjSm">“I think he’s gonna get here. I don’t know when, he’s in the air right now so we’ll wait and see when he lands,” Snitker said. The Braves won’t alter their starting lineup for Friday’s game and would need to make a roster move in order to activate Pederson. </p>
<p id="ssHuXD">As far as how Pederson will fit into the lineup, Snitker said that he will likely use him as the team’s leadoff hitter. Pederson spent most of his career in Los Angeles as a platoon player that sat against left-handed pitchers but he has saw more of an opportunity this season while with the <a href="https://www.bleedcubbieblue.com/">Cubs</a>. </p>
<p id="iyzZmk">“He’s done it, he’s had success there and we will probably leave him there for a while,” Snitker said of Pederson in the leadoff role. “Maybe see what it looks like.”</p>
<p id="k6k8m8">Pederson is hitting .218/.285/.442 with 11 home runs in 221 plate appearances against right-handers this season and has a .271/.348/.339 line in 66 plate appearances against lefties in 2021. </p>
<p id="KFhb8B"><strong>Ian Anderson update</strong></p>
<p id="Qpc2lP">Snitker said that Ian Anderson’s shoulder was structurally sound but that they would wait 7-10 days before he is reevaluated. </p>
<p id="WosbX6">“No structural damage, he just had some inflammation,” Snitker said of Anderson. “He won’t throw for seven to 10 days, and they’ll reevaluate him and see where he’s at.” </p>
<p id="uDFRXY">Snitker wouldn’t commit to a timeline for Anderson’s return but said that if he checked out after 7-10 days, then he would start playing catch and they would go from there. If that is the case, Anderson would probably need a week or two to build back up so a potential return sometime in August seems about right. </p>
<p id="aaXY4y"><strong>Pitching plans</strong></p>
<p id="zH00gt">Charlie Morton will start Friday’s game against the Rays with Max Fried and Drew Smyly scheduled to follow over the weekend. Snitker said that Touki Toussaint, who was reinstated from the injured list Friday, is currently penciled in to start Tuesday against the Padres. He added that Kyle Muller would be a candidate to pitch early next week as well but didn’t elaborate on when. The Braves will need another starter for Monday’s series opener against San Diego. </p>
https://www.batterypower.com/2021/7/16/22580705/atlanta-braves-notes-joc-pederson-slot-into-leadoff-spot-ian-anderson-injury-updateKris Willis2021-07-16T16:00:00-04:002021-07-16T16:00:00-04:00No Joc Pederson yet, Abraham Almonte hits leadoff on Friday night
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<img alt="Miami Marlins v Atlanta Braves" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/QqxSAf1bpUJU4FcZTj9dLIbAmac=/0x0:3600x2400/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/69592850/1233806293.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Edward M. Pio Roda/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>I guess Joc Pederson couldn’t get a flight to Atlanta in sufficient time</p> <p id="LmczA9">Just like the headline says: no Joc Pederson yet. Maybe tomorrow. Hopefully. Instead, we get a lineup in which Abraham Almonte slots in at leadoff, with the usual 2-3-4, and then Orlando Arcia hitting fifth. </p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Here’s how the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Braves?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Braves</a> will line up tonight at Truist Park!<br><br>Presented by <a href="https://twitter.com/TruistNews?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TruistNews</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ForTheA?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ForTheA</a> <a href="https://t.co/wt2ckkLq16">pic.twitter.com/wt2ckkLq16</a></p>— Atlanta Braves (@Braves) <a href="https://twitter.com/Braves/status/1416103813585543174?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 16, 2021</a>
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<p id="AC6nvP">Almonte hasn’t yet been penciled in to the leadoff spot for the Braves this season, and he hasn’t started a game there since September 2019, when he was with the <a href="https://www.azsnakepit.com/">Diamondbacks</a>. This is also a novel defensive arrangement, as the Braves haven’t yet played Arcia and Almonte in the same outfield. </p>
<p id="xI2Bab">As for this unit’s familiarity with Michael Wacha — there’s some, but not a lot. </p>
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<p id="ihmIk7">Wacha’s been around forever but hasn’t really had a good start against the Braves since early in 2017; he was destroyed by Atlanta when he was pitching for the <a href="https://www.amazinavenue.com/">Mets</a> in one outing last year. </p>
<p id="uAQCRS">The DH-less Rays line up this way: </p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Rays?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Rays</a> lineup vs. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Braves?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Braves</a>: <a href="https://t.co/FSjBRfq5kX">pic.twitter.com/FSjBRfq5kX</a></p>— Marc Topkin (@TBTimes_Rays) <a href="https://twitter.com/TBTimes_Rays/status/1416111500670943234?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 16, 2021</a>
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<p id="7prPKC">Randy Arozarena is the big omission from this lineup — the Rays rotate their DH a lot, but it’s usually Austin Meadows, who is starting in right field today while Arozarena gets an extended rest. After 2020’s heroics, Arozarena has a sub-.300 xwOBA and is playing fairly poorly, so this was perhaps an obvious choice, even given Meadows’ potential defensive issues.</p>
<p id="WuRrNY">The Rays are familiar with Morton given that he was their teammate — but not so much their opponent:</p>
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<p id="Vwmh92">It’ll be minorly interesting to see how Morton and Mike Zunino adjust to one another, given that they were battery-mates not too long ago.</p>
<p id="DAOOT1">And now, the Statcast graphic.</p>
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https://www.batterypower.com/2021/7/16/22580590/atlanta-braves-tampa-bay-rays-lineups-july-16-2021-joc-pederson-abraham-almonteIvan the Great2021-07-16T14:00:00-04:002021-07-16T14:00:00-04:00Charlie Morton faces old mates as Braves host Rays
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<img alt="MLB: New York Mets at Atlanta Braves" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/oZt3Rbj9hDzTDPtTWizQuik_9Gw=/0x0:2349x1566/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/69592185/usa_today_16337035.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>The Braves are back in action for an interleague matchup</p> <p id="wFvXEz">Baseball is back, the Braves are back, and it’s time for them to make hay, or lemons, or engage in some other food-related metaphor. Why? Because they’re running out of time, and healthy above-average players, to do much of anything at all. Tonight, the Rays come to town, so the Braves have a tough task ahead of them. But, they haven’t particularly succeeded at the easy tasks placed in front of them this season either, so success or failure might really be up to them moreso than their opposition.</p>
<p id="sP6eIt">Tonight’s matchup, in particular, features a hint of intrigue: Charlie Morton is facing his most recent former team, with whom he journeyed to the <a href="https://www.sbnation.com/world-series">World Series</a> last season. Morton hasn’t donned a Tampa Bay uniform since his not-great outing in Game 3 of the championship set, and he’ll be squaring off against a bunch of former teammates. On the season, Morton’s been great, well worthy of garnering the first post-break start among his array of ever-dwindling rotation compatriots. Morton has an 89 ERA-, 83 FIP-, and 82 xFIP- so far on the season, and could very well challenge for a 4 fWAR campaign provided he doesn’t get hurt or otherwise have to miss time. In his last five starts, Morton’s had three scoreless outings and a 39/7 combined K/BB ratio. If the Braves are going to start the “second half” of their season with a victory, chances are somewhat better when he’s on the mound.</p>
<p id="n88YxV">Not that facing the Rays is an easy task. The crew from St. Petersburg is 53-37 and 1.5 games back in the AL East, but in playoff position. That mark is sixth in baseball, better than two current division leaders (<a href="https://www.brewcrewball.com/">Brewers</a>, <a href="https://www.amazinavenue.com/">Mets</a>), and they’ve done it by pairing decent hitting and great fielding with good pitching. They’ve scuffled a bit lately, as they’re 6-4 in their last 10, 10-10 in their last 20, and 16-14 in their last 30 (the Braves are 6-4, 11-9, and 15-15, respectively), but the run prevention is solid, so tallies might be at a premium tonight.</p>
<p id="hKQ2Sm">The Rays’ scheduled starter in this game is Michael Wacha, but as usual with this crew, it’s not entirely clear what that means. Wacha’s made 10 official “starts” and five “bulk guy” relief appearances, but he’s also functioned as a pseudo-opener (fewer than three innings pitched) in a few starts as well. In short, stay tuned. On the season, Wacha hasn’t been particularly effective: 117 ERA-, 113 FIP-, 103 xFIP-. If you’re looking for a silver lining, it’s that contact-wise, Wacha has been absolutely crushed so far: he has a ridiculous .371 xwOBA against, and is way worse than average in terms of average exit velocity allowed, average launch angle allowed, sweet spot percentage, hard-hit rate, barrel rate, you get the idea. A lot of that is due to a fastball that isn’t consistently located up despite good shape, and some is because his cutter, which he throws a third of the time, doesn’t really have many pluses. In any case, the Braves probably aren’t going to get too many cracks at Wacha (fewer than 10 percent of his batters faced have come a third time through in a game), so hopefully they can make their hacks count, because it’s not like it gets easier when the Tampa Bay bullpen inserts itself into the game (third in fWAR, top three in ERA-/FIP-/xFIP-). </p>
<p id="VxwkKL">If nothing else, stay tuned to see how Joc Pederson fares in his first game as a Brave, since, oh yeah, <a href="https://www.talkingchop.com/2021/7/15/22579500/atlanta-braves-acquire-joc-pederson-trade-chicago-cubs">that happened</a>. </p>
<p id="78gian"><strong>Game Info</strong></p>
<p id="heMkgz"><a href="https://www.draysbay.com/">Tampa Bay Rays</a> @ <a href="https://www.talkingchop.com/">Atlanta Braves</a></p>
<p id="Xg8g2Y">Friday, July 16, 2021</p>
<p id="pLClas">7:20 pm EDT</p>
<p id="HQ1TDj">Truist Park, Atlanta, GA</p>
<p id="uZO0Lo">TV: Bally Sports Southeast, MLB Network (out-of-market)</p>
<p id="wLFLMo">Radio: 680 AM/93.7 FM The Fan, WNNX 100.5, Braves Radio Network, La Mejor 1600/1460/1130 AM</p>
<p id="uJuPpS">XM Radio: Ch. 189</p>
https://www.batterypower.com/2021/7/16/22579879/atlanta-braves-tampa-bay-rays-preview-time-tv-radio-streaming-charlie-morton-michael-wachaIvan the Great2021-07-16T10:00:48-04:002021-07-16T10:00:48-04:00Braves place Ian Anderson on injured list, activate Touki Toussaint
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<figcaption>Photo by Eric Espada/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>As expected, Anderson is headed to the injured list.</p> <p id="UGDzWQ">In advance of Friday’s series opener against the <a href="https://www.draysbay.com/">Tampa Bay Rays</a>, the <a href="https://www.talkingchop.com/">Atlanta Braves</a> placed right-hander Ian Anderson on the 10-day injured list due to shoulder inflammation. The team reinstated right-hander Touki Toussaint from the 60-day injured list to take Anderson’s spot not he active roster. </p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">The <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Braves?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Braves</a> today reinstated RHP Touki Toussaint from the 60-day injured list and placed RHP Ian Anderson on the 10-day injured list, retroactive to July 13, with right shoulder inflammation.</p>— Atlanta Braves (@Braves) <a href="https://twitter.com/Braves/status/1416032500305088518?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 16, 2021</a>
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<p id="zjMixh">Anderson lasted just 2 1/3 innings in his final start of the first half allowing six hits, five walks and four earned runs in a loss to the Marlins. Following that game, Brian Snitker said that Anderson would get his shoulder checked out during the break and could also be headed to the injured list so today’s news wasn’t completely unexpected. The hope was that it wasn’t anything serious and was just a result of an increased workload. </p>
<p id="xwDQ5y">Anderson has emerged as a key contributor in the Braves rotation in his first full season in the majors. In 18 starts, Anderson has a 3.56 ERA and a 3.59 FIP while carrying a 24% strikeout rate. </p>
<p id="sThQfb">Toussaint went on the injured list with a shoulder injury at the end of Spring Training. He has made six rehab starts. He struck out seven while allowing three hits and two runs over six innings in his last start at Gwinnett Tuesday. He has made 38 appearances, including 11 starts, at the Major League level and has a 5.97 ERA and a 5.15 FIP in 95 innings. </p>
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https://www.batterypower.com/2021/7/16/22579947/ian-anderson-injury-shoulder-atlanta-braves-injured-listKris Willis2021-07-16T08:00:00-04:002021-07-16T08:00:00-04:00Joc Pederson trade shows Braves aren’t waving white flag just yet
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<img alt="Chicago Cubs v Los Angeles Dodgers" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/rZpxa_fpICYyxpf0jRuTvG1LStI=/0x0:3278x2185/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/69590113/1327885039.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Meg Oliphant/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>The Bryce Ball-for-Joc Pederson trade isn’t a huge move, but it’s proof that the Braves aren’t going to roll over just yet.</p> <p id="DuFFab">Let’s not waste any time with the short-term analysis of this trade between the <a href="https://www.talkingchop.com/">Atlanta Braves</a> and the <a href="https://www.bleedcubbieblue.com/">Chicago Cubs</a>. For Atlanta, this is a definitely a short-term win. Joc Pederson is going to slot in and serve as some good help for the time being. If the change of scenery from Chicago to Atlanta results in Pederson reaching something near the levels of his best days with the <a href="https://www.truebluela.com/">Dodgers</a>, then he’ll easily be the best outfielder for the Braves in their currently-woeful outfield situation. That’s still not particularly saying a lot and I don’t have a lot of hope that this is going to significantly move the needle for the Braves, but it is definitely a sign that the Braves are not going to just roll over and capitulate just yet. </p>
<p id="xQ3CG7">However, this is still a very, very interesting trade from a couple of standpoints. When it comes to the market in general, it’s an indication that the Cubs are probably about to enter into “Everything Must Go” mode and it’s anybody’s guess as to where the big names remaining on their squad are going to end up by the time the trade deadline comes and goes. When it comes to the Braves, it’s an indication that they’re going to be in a tentative position of adding at the moment. If you don’t believe me then here’s Alex Anthopoulos saying it:</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Alex Anthopoulos says “Right now our focus is on adding”</p>— Kris Willis (@Kris_Willis) <a href="https://twitter.com/Kris_Willis/status/1415840619478589440?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 16, 2021</a>
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<p id="XPfBV6">While it means that the Braves aren’t going to just go ahead and give up on the season just yet, it doesn’t mean that things can’t change. At first glance, it’s definitely understandable that the Braves would continue to keep at it as far as the 2021 season is concerned. Their chances for this season did take a major (and some would say fatal) blow when Ronald Acuña Jr. went down, but they’re also only four games behind. The division-leading Mets haven’t been particularly mind-blowing at the top of the NL East and the rest of the division also appears to be just as underwhelming. </p>
<p id="GSOkmH">I think we’ve all been waiting for the past 89 games now to see if the Braves could finally get things together and go on a run. The longer the Mets continue to simply float around instead of leaving the rest of the division in their wake, the better a chance the Braves have of figuring out a way to wake up. I’m not really too enthused about Joc Pederson being the one to load up the Braves’ rocket ship and fire this thing to the moon, but at this point it wouldn’t hurt to see what could happen — especially considering what it cost in terms of just one prospect. </p>
<p id="HOOZsg">That’s where Bryce Ball comes in. The Cubs will be getting a decent prospect coming into their organization, but he likely won’t be a top-tier first baseman once he arrives at the major league level. He may have a decent amount of power in his bat but I wouldn’t say the Cubs were trying to get the heir apparent to Anthony Rizzo (and likewise, this doesn’t mean that this is a sign that the Braves know they’re keeping Freddie Freeman. Let’s keep some perspective, here!). With that being said, they appear to be in tear-it-down mode at the moment and they could also use a decent first base prospect in their system, and Bryce Ball fits the bill. There was some intrigue here but I’d say that the Braves are not going to feel to bad about sending Ball over to the Cubs when they’re getting a solid outfielder with a mutual option in his contract in exchange. </p>
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<p id="m2UDAu">The real intriguing part about this trade is the idea of where the Braves could go with Joc Pederson himself, going forward. There are a few timelines that I could see going down here: Pederson could find his prime Dodgers form and start raking, but the Braves could continue being snake-bitten and start really falling away by the deadline. If that’s the case, then the “right now” portion of what Alex Anthopoulos said about adding to the team could be put to the test and that could result in the Braves shopping Pederson and flipping him to an actual contender at the deadline. </p>
<p id="bHbTIe">There’s also a timeline where the Braves are convinced that they can do what the Cubs couldn’t do and turn him into a consistent and productive outfielder. If that’s the case, then maybe he’ll stick around. Now of course, that scenario could lead to Joc deciding to test free agency so the “mutual” part of that option would be dead on arrival, but it’s a possibility. The main thing is that the Braves have options here, and this is a trade that allows the Braves to buy without really buying in. </p>
<p id="JL6WD8">With that being said, it’s definitely kind of interesting that the Braves have picked this situation to make a legitimate addition to the squad. In 2020, the Braves were in dire need of pitching and decided to find that help in the form of Tommy Milone. That trade went so “well” that Milone was released a month later on September 30. Now granted, 2020 was a very weird season but it’s strange that last year’s big acquisition for a first-place team with a clear weakness was to add a journeyman innings-eater and this year, the team has started off their business in a worse situation as a third-place team by trading a pretty decent prospect (or at least one that was good enough to not be a “Player To Be Named Later”) for some actual help in the outfield. It’s a tiny bit perplexing but hey, that’s why I’m on here writing about it on the internet and not doing something about it in a front office somewhere. </p>
<p id="aFixhK">Either way, I do have to commend the Braves for not simply rolling over. It would’ve been understandable after the absolute hell of a half-season that they’ve already had here in 2021, but they’re not folding in their hand just yet. That’s all you can really ask for as a fan of the team — maximum effort. We’ll see if it pays off and they will have an extremely tough task ahead of them if they plan on turning things around but at least now we know that the front office could be active as the trade deadline approaches — for better or worse!</p>
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https://www.batterypower.com/2021/7/16/22579588/atlanta-braves-trade-deadline-rumors-deals-acquistions-joc-pederson-bryce-ballDemetrius Bell