The baseball gods have come to collect. Mike Yastrzemski's left elbow inflammation officially landed him on the IL today, silencing his hot July bat just when the Braves desperately need a series win against the Cardinals. This is a brutal blow for a guy who was absolutely swinging it well this month.
Weiss Shakes Up The Lineup As Yaz Hits The IL
Manager Walt Weiss isn't letting that stop him from trying to secure a win in Game 2 tonight, running largely the same 1-5 lineup as last night. Drake Baldwin is still crushing it in the cleanup spot, pulling DH duty. Then you have Joey Bart, the only Brave to ever go deep against Cardinals pitcher Matthew Liberatore in seven plate appearances, stepping in to catch Reynaldo López and bat eighth. Austin Riley is bumping up a spot to hit sixth, and Jorge Mateo gets the nod at shortshop in the nine-hole, taking over from Jim Jarvis. Eli White also gets the start in left field, subbing for Yastrzemski against the lefty Liberatore.Roster Shuffle And Cardinals Counter-Moves
Beyond Yaz's IL trip, the Braves front office was busy today. Owen Murphy and Brewer Hicklen got the call-up, while James Karinchak was optioned out. José Azócar got outrighted, and AJ Smith-Shawver is heading to Triple-A for rehab. Talk about a busy day with all these roster moves! Meanwhile, the Cardinals aren't sitting still either. Rookie JJ Wetherholt, fresh off his extension, is leading off, followed by Iván Herrera catching and batting second. Alec Burleson slides up to third, pushing Jordan Walker to fourth. And remember those pinch hitters from last night? Lars Nootbar, Bryan Torres, and Nathan Church are all getting starts today in left field, DH, and center field respectively. It's clear they want to shake things up too. So, what kind of Braves baseball are we getting tonight? Will Walt Weiss's lineup tweaks spark some devil magic? After that Apple TV loss, we need to win this series before the break, seriously. Reynaldo López takes the mound against Liberatore at 7:15 pm ET on BravesVision. Let's get it done!This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.