Lane Thomas Return Fixes Braves Outfield Depth
· Yahoo Sports
The Braves finally got a massive boost for Sunday night. Lane Thomas is back in the lineup for Game 2 of the NLDS in Los Angeles. He has been out since September 7 because of a strained left intercostal muscle. This injury left the Atlanta outfield missing half of its usual platoon. Now, the team gets a real piece back for this huge matchup.
According to Battery Power, Thomas will play left field and hit ninth in the order. It is exactly what the roster needs. He missed Game 1, but his presence changes the math for the defense. The Dodgers are still a tough crew, but having a full strength outfield matters.
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The Braves lineup looks stacked
The bats are ready to go. Ozzie Albies has hit a home run in each of the last two games. He is batting cleanup in the order. He sits behind Drake Baldwin, Ronald Acuña Jr., and Matt Olson. This group has enough power to hurt anyone in the NLDS. Per Battery Power, Sean Murphy is in the lineup as the DH after hitting a home run on Saturday. He is hitting seventh tonight.
The middle of the field is also seeing some shifts. Mauricio Dubón moves back to shortstop. Ha-Seong Kim is replaced by him, and he will bat in the sixth spot. This depth is why this team can win in LA.
Facing the Dodgers pitching staff
The numbers against Blake Snell are tough. Braves hitters have a combined .198 lifetime average against him. Only Ozzie Albies and Sean Murphy have kept their averages above .286 against the Dodgers starter. However, the Braves have found some success elsewhere. Both Acuña Jr. and Dubón have homered against him. Matt Olson also has two doubles and five RBIs against Snell despite the lefty-on-lefty matchup.
The bullpen plan is also interesting. The Braves will use Ray Kerr as the opener for Game 2. The Dodgers have a hard time with him. According to Battery Power, Los Angeles players are 1-for-10 against Kerr in five relief appearances from 2022-23. Mookie Betts had the only hit, which was a three-run double. The Dodgers have walked more batters than they have struck out against him.
Bullpen depth will decide Game 2
Kerr might only pitch one inning. If he leaves, the Braves have more options. The Dodgers hitters are hitting .229 against Grant Holmes. They have also hit two homers and driven in five runs against him. The Braves also have a rookie, JR Ritchie, who could pitch bulk innings.