6:07PM: In another move announced by the Braves today, Joel Payamps cleared waivers and was outrighted to Triple-A Gwinnett. The right-hander was designated for assignment earlier this week, and he has enough MLB service time to reject the outright assignment and opt for free agency. However, becoming a free agent would mean surrendering the roughly $1.78MM in remaining salary Payamps is owed for 2026, so the righty is probably more likely to accept the outright and continue in Gwinnett.
11:00AM: Braves outfielder Ronald Acuna Jr. is heading to the injured list with a hamstring strain, the team announced. Jose Azocar was selected to the roster as a replacement. Atlanta also reinstated right-hander Spencer Strider from the IL. Righty Hunter Stratton is headed back to Triple-A to clear a spot.
Acuna was removed in the second inning of Saturday’s game against the Rockies after a groundout. He was replaced by Eli White in right field. The Braves had an opening on the 40-man, so no corresponding move was needed to add Azocar.
The 28-year-old Acuna is off to a slow start this season by his lofty standards. He’s slashed .252/.362/.378 across 152 plate appearances. Acuna has just two home runs in 34 games. Atlanta’s offensive production has been just fine, though, as the club leads the league in scoring by 15 runs.
The Braves will likely lean on a mix of White, Azocar, and Mauricio Dubon for additional reps in the outfield. Michael Harris II is back from a minor quad issue, so he’ll lock down center on an everyday basis. That leaves the aforementioned trio and Mike Yastrzemski to cover the corner spots. Yastrzemski has a .642 OPS in his career against lefties, so he’ll probably remain in a platoon role.
Azocar returned to the organization on a minor league deal in December. He initially latched on with Atlanta in May after a brief stint with the Mets last season. Azocar only appeared in two games with the Braves before getting designated for assignment. He went back to New York and spent the rest of the year in the minors, then elected free agency.
The 29-year-old Azocar has spent parts of four seasons in the majors, mostly with the Padres. He debuted for San Diego in 2022 and earned semi-regular work at all three outfield spots. Azocar posted an 81 wRC+ in 216 plate appearances. He was up and down with the big-league club over the next couple of seasons. Azocar hasn’t hit enough to stick for an extended stretch in the majors, but he provides some speed along with competent defense in the outfield.
Strider has been sidelined since Spring Training with an oblique injury. He’ll make his season debut against the Rockies. The righty ramped up to 82 pitches in his final Triple-A outing, so he should be in for close to a normal workload in his return.
Injuries have limited Strider to 25 starts over the past two seasons. He missed nearly all of 2024 with an elbow injury. Strider returned in April of last year, only to go right back on the IL with a hamstring issue. He made 23 starts in 2025, pitching to a 4.45 ERA across 125 1/3 innings.
All eyes will be on the Coors Field radar gun in Strider’s return. His fastball averaged a career-low 95.5 mph last year. The pitch sat at 96.3 mph in his brief 2024 stint. Strider was consistently in the upper-90s with the heater during his elite years in 2022 and 2023. He introduced a curveball to help expand his arsenal, though he used the pitch just 8.9% of the time in 2025.
Stratton will head back to Triple-A after just one appearance with Atlanta. He came up on Friday with Anthony Molina after José Suarez and Joel Payamps were designated for assignment. Stratton lasted longer than Molina, who was sent back down yesterday with Carlos Carrasco returning to the squad.
Atlanta acquired Stratton in a minor trade with the Pirates last summer. He pitched well in 12 appearances with the club, posting a 2.20 ERA with nearly a strikeout per inning. Given how frequently the Braves have shuffled pitchers on and off the roster, Stratton will likely get another shot in the majors at some point this year.
Photo courtesy of Christopher Hanewinckel, Imagn Images
The circle of life.
Ronald Acuna Jr, Bobby Witt Jr, and Fernando Tatis Jr have hit a combined 4 home runs in 440 PA so far in 2026.
That is wild!!
I love the WBC but weren’t all these guys playing in it?
So was Schwarber, Judge, and Murakami.
Maybe not Murakami now that I think about it.
The stupid ill-timed WBC ruined everything !!!
Duh. Not enough room in the batter’s box for all three combined.
Acuna on the IL, weird.
Yeah, when did that ever happen before? 😉 (as stars continue to 💧 like 🪰🪰)
Pee like Bees?
Beads?
#💦🐝🐝
Exactly lol
it’s absurd that our highly paid slugger gets injured doing something stupid like running the bases. this wouldn’t have happened with a designated runner.
#UniversalDR
They get paid millions. You want them not to run? Thats ridiculous
Forgive Eric. He forgot to use the sarcasm font. He’s just a fruitbat after all.
You have been designated too slow to hit this subtlety.
Where’s Herb Washington when you need him?
If memory serves, he has unique permission to NOT run out infield grounders because his knee ligaments are like dry spaghetti. And it sure seems like he takes advantage of that. Baffling that he still hurt himself.
As much as I hate to say it is it time to trade Acuna and get a haul ?
No offense but that’s stupid we aren’t rebuilding he is still very very talented and he will help us win. We want to win and if we trade him we diminish our ceiling.
Is that you, 2032?
No one wants to hear that but yes. Not now of course but definitely this off-season. That’s the time to trade and still get a legit haul. Year after that the Braves will get way less and then there’s no point. We all know the Braves won’t pay some crazy $400mil plus contract.
The Braves will keep him through 2028, and then offer a QO if he’s healthy. They don’t usually extend or trade their stars.
I see that as big trouble. He will put up a big fight. Probably demand a trade even though he cant force that.
Anything’s possible, but I doubt Acuna will squawk. He’s having a good time in Atlanta, but free agency will be his chance to score a big contract. It’s a business.
@bham…Yes that’s probably the most likely outcome which is worst case scenario imo. They have the opportunity to secure a Juan Soto/Mark Teixeira esque type of trade this off-season and still remain a competitive team which is rare.
You have to be careful though, there’s always a chance of a Mookie Betts-esque type of trade return.
They have the opportunity to secure a Juan Soto/Mark Teixeira esque type of trade
==============
No, you don’t. He can’t stay on the field.
Stevie C will pay 400-500 mm. No problem.
Even I know you can’t trade him now. Against all odds everything does seem to be clicking for this team minus Riley rebounding.
Will it hold up? Hard to say. Some years you just get lucky where you can do no wrong.
They need to make the most of it as long as it lasts. If things turn in May and June maybe we revisit the idea in July but for now you can’t trade anyone this year.
I agree. I think some lesser players have been playing over their heads, both in the lineup and the rotation. We have some vets coming back soon, so maybe the overperforming roleplayers will slot back into their expected roles and we won’t lose too much momentum.
For as much as everyone probably wants to label me as negative… Elder is someone I have not trashed like I saw most doing on here leading up to this season.
Will he hold up? I don’t know but I’m on the optimistic side with him. He worked with Maddux in the offseason and he’s shown really strong stretches in the past so I like where he’s at right now and I don’t think it’s too crazy he may have a phenomenal season start to finish.
I’ve also always defended Riley on the flip side. I still stand behind him but I’m at a loss why he can’t figure it out yet. Hopefully soon.
@Braves2032
Elder worked out with Greg Maddux 2 off-seasons ago. It was 24-25 that they worked out together. So it might be a stretch to point his turn around this year to that particular thing. If so, why didn’t help more last year?
Unless Maddux taught him a new pitch and it took Elder more then 1 off-season to perfect it. Then that would make sense.
The kids called him Mr. Glass.
That 8 year $100MM contract isn’t so one sided after all!
Idk about that
He’s averaged a little over 4 bWAR from 2019 to 2025 (if you extrapolate 2020 to a 162 season), and has been paid an average of about $10.5M per season. 5 All-stars, 3 silver sluggers and an MVP. That’s still a VERY good deal for the Braves.
The contract remain very team friendly, and will be even if he’s never an MVP candidate. He is on an audition for a renewal or extension, though, based on recent health and performance.
It is still a good deal for the Braves but also don’t forget this extension bought out 1 year pre-arb then 4 more years of arb
It’s not like he was a free agent and they’ve been getting him super cheap. His earning potential was minimized those first few years anyway due to standard team control.
I still agree it’s been a good deal, but to the original posts credit it’s not as favorable of a deal as many want to spin it as.
If you really want to a good assessment of the contract, Vlad finished 2nd in MVP before his first arb year with roughly a 6 WAR. The next year finished with roughly a 4 WAR before his 2nd arb year.
Over 3 years total he earns $42 million during arb.
You could argue the first 6 years of Acuna (including the 2 years pre-arb year they bought out) had he gone through arb for the first 3 years he maybe nets $38 million. Reality is he wasn’t as productive as Vlad so I’m docking him a couple mil in the total amount.
Being Super Two he would have also had a 4th arb year. Vlad got $19 mil in his 3rd and final arb year, he was also Super Two but signed his extension prior to that last year. So let’s say Acuna followed a similar track, maybe would have had less in his 3rd year since he wasn’t as productive as Vlad, so maybe he had $17 mil in his 3rd year. This is a very rough guess but let’s give him $24 mil in his 4th arb year.
Now 6 years of Ronald’s contract extension have a roughly estimated value of $62 million if he went through arb
Braves paid him $55 million during over those years, small edge Braves so yes good deal but not great.
2025 and 2026 he’s had a salary of $17 million during each year. You could argue someone would have paid him for $30 million during per year on a big contract, these last two seasons (plus his club options in 2027 and 2028) they are likely getting him for $17 mil when he would cost closer to $30 mil these 4 years
But again it hasn’t been some massive win. You could argue he isn’t worth the big $30 mil per year contract with how he’s panned out, and they didn’t get much of a discount the first 6 years of the contract where they bought out pre-arb and arb years.
It’s been a good deal for the Braves but not some massive steal some pretend it to be.
He’d have gotten [aid, but was coming off a 0.0 bWAR year and only played 49 games. Tough to know how GMs would assess that.
He’s already earned all of it.
Fangraphs credits him with having been worth 260m thus far. He’s made 90m.
Heck, he earned 70% of the entire contract in his historic 40/70 season.
That contract has been a huge win for Atl!!
He may have produced $260 mil of value but that’s not even remotely how salaries work in MLB.
It’s like you’re new to the entire system of team control and arb years if that’s how you evaluate the contract.
Through this year he maybe earns $120 mil if he doesn’t sign the extension. I already outlined it above with Vlad’s arb journey as the anchor point.
So Braves maybe saved $20 mil to this point. Tack on the two options they’ll probably end up saving $30 mil over those 2 seasons for $50 mil saved over 10 years. Pretty good, but again probably not as much of a steal as people who don’t understand pre-arb and arb years think it is.
Are you a Braves fan complaining that your team hasn’t gotten a great value from that 100m extension??
They paid 56m for his pre-free agent years or damn similar if they went year to year and 4/68m for his 4 free agent years, with two years still come via 17m team options.
To say they have maybe saved 20m thus far is saying your valuing Acuna as a 27m/yr player on a short-term deal.
They’re paying 4/68m (2/34 guaranteed) for his free agent years in a day where Bo Bichette gets 3/126m and Kyle Tucker 4/260m… that seems like an asinine take. For the mathematically challenged they’ll pay him nearly 200m less for those same four free agent years as Tucker without adding the other huge value component (team options versus player opt outs) that further make the deal even more valuable.
He may have earned his money but he is still under contract with two 17M team options in ’27 and ’28.
This is the issue with Acuna. He senses that he is missing the bonanza. He is all bungled up because of it.
Kyle Tucker is hitting .236/.322/.362
Bo Bichette is hitting .243/.280/.321
There is a sense the market is shifting towards paying for risk on rookies as opposed to paying surplus for past results on aging veterans.
Ronald Acuna is a better player than Kyle Tucker and Bo Bichette, it isnt close in my opinion, but he wont be a free agent until ’29, his age 32 season, and those option years are what the Braves want most out of Acuna.
What sort of deal would make Acuna happy? I think it would be something like 3/100M. That is reasonable for Acuna, and could still be considered a bargain for a team acquiring him.
With that contract in place, Acuna still has a valuable trade market.
When Soto was traded he had signed a 1yr/17M dollar contract in arbitration, and had two seasons of subsequent team control.
Its fairly similar situation with Acuna but a team has to pay him guarantee to get him to play. 3/100M is fair in that regard, shouldnt be an issue for any team who desires to acquire his services.
The Soto comparison is also fair, a return to the Braves in the Teixera / Soto territory is expected and required for what amounts to around 50M in surplus value at 3/100M.
That is the caveat that makes the trade work, getting Acuna to sign 3/100 and to be happy about it. And he should be happy about it with 2 17M team options hanging over his head.
It’s really a shame. It felt like he was just starting to heat up.
He was. Extra nice when Baldwin has been raking, too.
He’ll miss the HOF for all the time lost in his career due to injury. Like Trout. They could have been 1st ballot but injuries will keep them out.
Trout is a hofer for sure no doubt. If you put Ozzie smith in he has to be in
Let me cement it to 400 homers 200 SB that is elite plus his fantastic defense early in his career
Fun fact, in 1988 Ozzie Smith was the highest paid player in MLB.
The best defensive player in MLB history definitely belongs in the HOF.
And Mike Trout will be a unanimous 1st ballot HOF if one tool doesn’t decide to get in the way.
Trout, with 89 career WAR at age 34, will not be a first ballot HOFer (or not at all?).
Big if true.
Trout is a unanimous first ballot HOFer.
Literally if he retired tomorrow.
Trout is a HOF though no question. Terrible comparison
Indeed. “When people tell you they are easy mutes, believe them.” -Maya Angelos, I think
Trout is a lock. A better comp would be Buxton who is unbelievable, when he plays. Almost an identical bWAR/600 ABs.
Acuna’s starting to make Byron Buxton look like the picture of durability.
I mean, Buxton has strong facial features. He *looks* durable.
Azocar is the 5th outfielder. I doubt he’ll see much action.
Hoax?
Shift change.
The Braves are going to have a tough decision with Acuna. He has a 17mm option for next yr and the yr after. The club has the option. He is going to want a huge megadeal extension, not small money. I know Stevie Cohen would probably line him up for 40 a yr? Maybe more. This yr he wanted to show a career yr after all the recent injuries.
The Braves will let him walk after 2028, as they did with Freeman, Swanson and Fried.
Correct.
Comment of the yr
Acuna came back from injury last year and played in the wbc and was a monster. He’ll be back. No offense but the Mets have no offense even after signing Soto & bichette and trading for Lindor and Marcus Siemen. Players prefer an actual winner unlike the cursed Mets.
Jared Kelenic still kicking cans with the White Sox now. Shift change?
Castellanos might get DFA’d by Padres in the next week or so.
Chadwick Tromp catching in Gwinnett Stripers lineup today, so Sean Murphy will most likely rejoin the Braves Monday when they begin series with Seattle.
Why can’t the baseball gods let us have nice things. The Mike Trout injury is just around the corner I’m sure.
The opposing teams keep hitting acuna and albies.
Acuna Jr has HOF potential if he can stay healthy. Sucks to hear it, hope that hamstring gets well soon.
Early May Acuna injury, but 15 games above .500? No sweat. If ANY sport could benefit from load management, it’s baseball. More AB’s for guys who we’ll need to be clutch in playoffs. And, as much of a dawg as he is, Acuna might need a mental break, post WBC title. He needs a reset. Oh, and he plays against trash on a weekly basis who make double/triple his salary.
I am wondering how Murphy is going to go this year and fit into all of this. Heim is doing a good job so far.