Following Monday’s news that Marcell Ozuna is dealing with a hip tear, Braves GM Alex Anthopoulos clarified that Ozuna will continue to play through the injury, managing the pain until the offseason. In response, manager Brian Snitker adjusted the lineup — moving Ozuna down to the 5th spot from his usual place in the 3-hole. Austin Riley slides into the 3rd spot, while Drake Baldwin remains in the 2nd slot.
Another lineup tweak raised eyebrows: despite facing right-hander Zac Gallen, Snitker placed Nick Allen ahead of Michael Harris II, who was dropped all the way to the 9th spot in the order.
On the other side, Arizona’s lineup remains dangerous. Corbin Carroll continues to be one of the league’s most dynamic leadoff hitters, and Ketel Marte is red-hot with a .930 OPS. Braves fans also won’t forget Eugenio Suárez’s four-homer game against Atlanta back on April 26 in Phoenix — even if the Diamondbacks lost that slugfest.
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