Injuries & Moves: Murphy (oblique) to begin rehab assignment
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May 15: RF Ronald Acuña Jr. gets a day off
Braves manager Brian Snitker opted to give Acuña a chance to rest during Wednesday's series finale against the Cubs. This gave the reigning National League MVP two consecutive off-days ahead of Friday's series opener against the Padres. Acuña has hit .245 with three homers and stolen 14 bases, compiling a .696 OPS while playing in each of the team's first 39 games of the year. He was picked off at first base three consecutive times earlier this week.
"Just wanted to let him relax a little bit and let him wake up knowing he has two days to kind of detox a little bit," Snitker said.
May 14: 3B Austin Riley (left side tightness) shows improvement
Riley felt much better when he arrived at the stadium on Tuesday. He told Braves manager Brian Snitker he is now having trouble pinpointing the area of his left side that bothered him the past couple days. This provides further reason to believe he could resume playing again this week. Riley exited Sunday night's game against the Mets with what was described as left side tightness.
10-day/15-day IL
C Sean Murphy (left oblique strain)
Expected return: Late May
Murphy is scheduled to begin a Minor League rehab assignment the week of May 20. This was an encouraging development for the Braves, who have been without their 2023 All-Star catcher since Opening Day. He has passed all of the tests the club has set for him, while completing both offensive and defensive drills. (Last updated: May 15)
RHP Pierce Johnson (right elbow inflammation)
Expected return: Friday
Johnson said he felt great after throwing live batting practice on May 15. He is still expected to be activated before Atlanta's May 17 game against the Padres. The right-handed reliever needed a little more than a week to rest his elbow, which began bothering him near the end of April. He should immediately resume his role as one of the Braves' high-leverage options. (Last updated: May 15)
LHP Tyler Matzek (left elbow soreness)
Expected return: TBD
Matzek posted a 9.90 ERA and produced some concerning hard-hit metrics over 11 appearances. The Braves are hoping he is just going through one of the phases that often follows Tommy John surgery. He'll be given at least a couple weeks to rest his arm. (Last updated: May 7)
RHP Spencer Strider (right ulnar collateral ligament)
Expected return: 2025
After visiting Dr. Keith Meister on April 8, Strider underwent internal brace surgery to repair the ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow on April 12 and will miss the rest of the 2024 season. (Last updated: April 13)
60-day IL
LHP Angel Perdomo (Tommy John surgery)
Expected return: 2025
Perdomo was transferred to the 60-day injured list on May 4. He is recovering from the Tommy John surgery he underwent last fall and will miss the entire 2024 season. (Last updated: May 4)