The Atlanta Braves entered Tuesday’s series rematch against the Chicago Cubs looking for a quick turnaround after a 7-3 loss the night before that pushed their losing streak to two games.
One of the most noticeable adjustments came in how they planned to use Ronald Acuña Jr.
After starting in right field and batting leadoff Monday, Acuña was moved to designated hitter and dropped to the second spot in the order, via Underdog MLB.
The change gives the Braves a slightly different look at the top of the lineup while also taking him out of the field for a night. Drake Baldwin was set to catch and lead off, with Matt Olson, Michael Harris II, Mauricio Dubón, Austin Riley, Mike Yastrzemski, Ozzie Albies and Blake Hicklen filling out the rest of the batting order.
Martín Pérez was scheduled to start on the mound.
The decision followed a quiet night at the plate for Acuña. He finished 0-for-4 with a strikeout in the series opener and never really found a rhythm against Chicago’s pitching.
That slump came after a brief stretch of success. Over his previous three games he had gone 6-for-13, showing the kind of contact and extra-base threat that has defined much of his career when he is locked in.
For the season as a whole, Acuña has posted 17 home runs and 47 RBIs while hitting .255 across 98 games.
Those numbers reflect both the production the Braves still expect from him and the inconsistency that has crept in at times. Moving him to DH can be read as a short-term attempt to keep his bat in the lineup without asking him to cover ground in the outfield after a frustrating game.
Atlanta’s offense has needed a spark. The Braves have struggled to string together consistent at-bats during the recent slump, and shifting a high-profile player like Acuña is one of the more visible ways a manager can try to change the energy.
Whether the move produces immediate results will be judged by how the team responds at Wrigley Field and whether Acuña can recapture the swing he showed in the games leading up to Monday’s loss.
The series continues with the Braves hoping a different role for their star helps them even things up and stop the slide.
For Acuña, the night offered a chance to reset at the plate without the defensive demands of right field.
How he fares in the two-hole as the DH will be one of the first storylines worth watching as Atlanta tries to regain momentum.
