Truist Park – The Atlanta Braves start their second half of the season after going 7-13 in their last 20 games. Walt Weiss and the ball club are expecting to bounce back even with questions about key players that have been injured.
The All-Star break came at the perfect time for the Braves with injuries piling up and the offense plummeting with a .200 batting average during the last 20 games.
Weiss believes that a mental break was good for the team but what the team has done overall is very pleasing.
“15 games over .500, I mean you look at where we were last year with virtually the same roster,” stated Weiss. “Last year we got devastated by injuries, you can make a case that it’s been even more devastating this year. To be where we’re at, you have to put things in perspective. These guys have done a hell of a job to be where we’re at.
I know the last month, were grinding and nothing came easy. We weren’t winning as many games as we wanted to but you still have to look at the overall picture. Coming out of Spring Training, we would certainly take where we’re at right now.”
Injuries have been a thorn in the Braves’ side, especially when it comes to pitching. Weiss doesn’t seem to be optimistic about Spencer Schwellenbach and Spencer Strider, who are both on the 60-Day injured list.
“I don’t know where exactly Schwelly [Schwellenbcach) is right now,” said Weiss. “[Strider] is not close to being back here, so Spencer is not really on the radar. I think it’s a chance to see both of them but it’s really hard to say.
To combat those concerns, there could be a chance that the Braves lean more on Chris Sale than they have in the first half of the season. Sale is expected to pitch on the fifth day in the second half.
“Everything starts on the mound,” Weiss mentioned. “If we can get deeper and deeper with our starters, it would go a long way”.
The offense will get a big boost when Ronald Acuna Jr. comes back into the lineup, which could be this upcoming series against the Texas Rangers.
If the Braves can get the bats going of Acuna and Austin Riley along with the possibility of taking advantage of a trade or two, it will aid the injuries of the starting rotation.
