With the first month of the season drawing to a close, the Atlanta Braves welcomed the Cleveland Guardians to Truist Park for a weekend showdown between two of the best teams in Major League Baseball.
Cleveland has been an early surprise, but Atlanta entered 2024 with considerable expectations both internally and externally. Those stem from both their successes and shortcomings in recent years.
The Braves have seen their share of highs and lows, and more than their fair share of injuries on an annual basis. Already this season, Atlanta has lost three All-Stars to the injured list, with ace right-hander Spencer Strider ruled out for the remainder of the year.
As second baseman Ozzie Albies returns and catcher Sean Murphy gears up to do the same, Braves manager Brian Snitker remains impressed with his team’s ability to overcome the loss of key players.
“I think the one good thing about this club is that they don’t dip into the ‘woe-is-me’ type thing when we lose somebody,” Snitker said. “We just keep going and making it happen. Guys don’t sit around and feel sorry for themselves. They just go next-man-up and get an opportunity to do something really good.”