As the Braves kick off a three-game series on the road against the Yankees, Ha-Seong Kim will make his return to the lineup, playing shortstop and hitting ninth.
It’ll be his first game action since June 30, not long after which he was placed on the injured list with middle finger inflammation.
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Before his IL stint, he hit .068 in 73 plate appearances after a delayed start to the season due to a separate injury. This return feels like his last chance to validate the $20 million contract he was given and prove he belongs on a potential postseason roster.
With a strong left-handed pitcher in former Brave Max Fried taking the mound for the series opener, the Braves are moving Ozzie Albies up in the order. Notably, above left-hander Matt Olson, to the No. 3 spot behind just Ronald Acuña Jr. and Drake Baldwin.
Baldwin will DH Friday, giving Sean Murphy another catching start in his recent return from the IL.
The Yankees, notably without Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton and Cody Bellinger, will hit Ben Rice, he of the 31 homers this season, second in the batting order, and recent prospect call-up shortstop George Lombard Jr. seventh.
This will be Fried’s first career start against his former team. As such, it shouldn’t come as much of a surprise that the only six members of Atlanta’s roster who have faced him joined the Braves within the last two seasons.
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Former National Lane Thomas has faced Fried the most, a whopping 19 times. Although it should be a favorable matchup for Thomas as a right-handed hitter against a left-handed pitcher, he’s 1-for-19 against Fried with one single, one RBI and three strikeouts.
None of the Braves who have faced Fried have had much success against him. Mike Yastrzemski and Ha-Seong Kim are both 2-for-7 (.286) to lead the way on a roster which is a combined 11-for-65 (.169) against the southpaw with two homers (one each from Jorge Mateo and Dominic Smith), five RBIs, 13 strikeouts and three walks.
Braves debutante right-hander Tyler Mahle has faced the Yankees twice, once with the Twins in 2023 and earlier this season with the Giants. He took the loss in both starts but wasn’t particularly bad either time, allowing two earned runs in each appearance (4.32 ERA) over a combined 8 1/3 innings, giving up nine total hits with 10 strikeouts and four walks.
Among current Yankees with more than two at-bats against Mahle, Paul Goldschmidt (11-for-29 for .379 average with three homers and five RBIs) and Ryan McMahon (5-for-18 with two homers and eight RBIs) lead the charge.
Overall, the active Yankees are a combined 20-for-82 (.244) with three doubles, two triples, five home runs and 17 RBIs against Mahle, striking out 24 times while walking eight.
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