ATLANTA -- Mike Yastrzemski’s offensive struggles have been one of the few negative storylines surrounding the 2026 Braves.
Yastrzemski, who signed a two-year contract with Atlanta on Dec. 10, entered Tuesday’s contest against the Cubs with a slash line of .200/.264/.252 with six RBIs in 115 at-bats.
The 35-year-old outfielder nearly doubled his season RBI total Tuesday as he went 2-for-2 with three RBIs to help Atlanta to a 5-2 win over Chicago at Truist Park.
After Yastrzemski gave the Braves a 1-0 lead with an RBi single in the bottom of the third, he hit a go-ahead, two-run home run in the fifth inning and the Braves cruised to a series-opening win against one of the National League’s top clubs.
It was Yastrzemski’s first home run since Sept. 28, 2025. Yastrzemski is now 5-for-10 with three home runs against Colin Rea, who started on the mound for the Cubs.
Yastrzemski’s home run highlighted Atlanta’s four-run fifth inning in which Austin Riley hit a solo home run and Matt Olson tallied an RBI single as the Braves tagged Rea for five earned runs on seven hits over 4 1/3 innings.
Yastrzemski helped the Braves to a win in their first game at Truist Park since the passing of Braves legends Bobby Cox and Ted Turner. Turner died on Wednesday and Cox died on Saturday.
The Braves honored Cox and Turner with a pregame video tribute and moment of silence. The Braves are 3-0 since Cox passed away.
Braves starting pitcher Grant Holmes allowed two runs on one hit with four walks and five strikeouts over four innings. It was the second time in eight starts this season that Holmes did not last more than four innings.