Outlook Ozzie Albies
Ozzie Albies battles through a cold stretch as Atlanta pushes for the division title
Albies has endured a frigid late-season stretch, batting just .163 with one home run and one RBI across his last 14 contests. Despite Atlanta weathering a three-game losing skid, he remains firmly entrenched as the everyday second baseman for the first-place Braves (85-61).
Under the hood, this recent swoon looks like late-season variance rather than a true skills collapse. Albies has already surpassed our season projection with 21 long balls this year, meaning his pop remains intact and his batting average should soon gravitate back toward his career baseline.
Atlanta finishes the week with four straight home games, beginning Thursday against Tampa Bay's Nick Martinez and his stingy 3.08 ERA. The weekend brings a mixed bag against Philadelphia, where tough southpaw Jesus Luzardo (3.31 ERA) is offset by favorable matchups against Aaron Nola (4.83 ERA) and Andrew Painter (5.83 ERA). Start.
Updated 1 day ago
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Outlook Josue De Paula
Josue De Paula gets the call to Los Angeles following Shohei Ohtani's injury
The first-place Dodgers (89-57), riding a seven-game winning streak, officially summoned top prospect Josue De Paula straight from Double-A after placing Shohei Ohtani on the injured list. The 21-year-old outfielder dominated the minors by compiling 27 home runs and 25 stolen bases. He enters the roster as an exciting outfield option ready to debut Friday in Miami.
With no major league track record yet, our models view De Paula as a premium power-and-speed asset capable of making an immediate splash. While jumping directly from Double-A creates inherent contact risk against elite pitching, his exceptional minor-league .401 on-base percentage suggests his mature approach at the plate can translate quickly without significant regression.
Los Angeles wraps up the week with three road games against the Marlins, featuring enticing matchups against right-handers Ryan Gusto (4.37 ERA, 1.46 WHIP) and Tyler Phillips (3.58 ERA) before facing Eury Perez (3.94 ERA). While the matchups are favorable, playing time uncertainty keeps him best suited for benches until his role is solidified. Sit.
Updated 1 day ago
