Braves plans to skip OF Soler in NL Championships | Sports News

By CHARLES ODUM, AP sports writer

ATLANTA (AP) – The Atlanta Braves are preparing to play without outfielder Jorge Soler in the NL Championship Series pending clearance after testing positive for COVID-19.

The Braves trained Thursday at Truist Park without Soler, who was taken out of roster for Game 4 of the NL Division Series against Milwaukee on Tuesday. Dansby Swanson replaced Soler as the starting hitter, Guillermo Heredia entered the roster down center and Cristian Pache took Soler’s place in the 26-man roster.

Playing with the squad squad, the Braves beat the Brewers 5-4 to win the Five Division Series.

Braves manager Brian Snitker would love to have Soler’s powerful bat on his Championship Series roster. Soler totaled .223 with 27 homers and 70 RBIs with Kansas City and Atlanta during the regular season.

“We want everyone out there,” Snitker said when asked about Soler, adding that he “hated having to miss this” decisive game against the Brewers.

“I don’t know if this team has been dependent, as we’ve shown, on one guy all year, quite honestly. Guys keep playing the game. How would you like to have it? Yes. If we don’t, so be it. Go out and win as we can. “

Soler has been vaccinated but may not be allowed to return until the best of seven NLCSs. Snitker said he had not spoken with Soler.

“We have to approach him like I don’t know if he would be here for the NLCS,” Snitker said. “This is how we have to approach it. Until he shows up, gets cleared, and does whatever MLB needs him to do, we’re going to make it sound like he won’t be here.

Soler was part of the dramatic outfield makeover orchestrated by general manager Alex Anthopoulos after the Braves lost Ronald Acuña Jr. to a season-ending knee injury and Marcell Ozuna to legal issues.

Anthopoulos first acquired Joc Pederson, then added Soler, Eddie Rosario and Adam Duvall near the July 30 trade deadline.

The depth of field created by the movements becomes even greater with Soler’s status uncertain as the Braves attempt to return to the World Series for the first time since 1999.

“I think when we had Joc the clubhouse was like ‘we’re not going to sit and wait’,” Snitker said. “Alex is on the move. He was hitting fast and when he did – the next wave of guys by the deadline – it showed our guys we were serious about this business. I think it did the most good for that room in there.

The Braves can stick to their three-man rotation of Charlie Morton, Max Fried and Ian Anderson. Morton pitched on a short rest Tuesday, allowing two runs in 3 1/3 innings. Fried is the likely starter for the NLCS game opener.

Regular-season rotation Huascar Ynoa and Drew Smyly were in the Division Series relief pen and appear likely to be available again. They could be used as part of a bullpen approach in Game 4.

“It’ll probably line up where we’re probably going to have a reliever box game, but you know, that being said, in this series we had two starters in our reliever box,” said Snitker. “We will be fine.”

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