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Atlanta Braves outfielder Jarred Kelenic is out of the starting lineup on Friday with the team facing a left-handed pitcher. Veteran Adam Duvall will instead get the start in left field and will bat ninth against the visiting Cleveland Guardians and left-hander Logan Allen. Kelenic is hitting a strong .314 (16-for-51), although he has yet to clear the fences and has driven in only three runs in his first year in Atlanta. He's also only had one plate appearance against a southpaw this year, so fantasy managers should continue to expect him to sit regularly when Atlanta opposes a lefty. Duvall is a career .233 hitters against lefties in 921 plate appearances with 47 homers and 132 RBI. He has two home runs on the season but is a low-upside DFS play in the nine-hole against a pitcher he's never faced in his career.
Atlanta Braves second baseman Ozzie Albies (toe) was activated from the 10-day injured list on Friday after he needed only the 10 days to recover from a fractured right big toe. Albies will be back in Atlanta's starting lineup on Friday for the series finale against the visiting Cleveland Guardians and left-hander Logan Allen, and fantasy managers will want to get him back into all starting lineup this weekend. The 27-year-old switch-hitter was hitting a strong .317/.386/.492 with two home runs and two stolen bases in 15 games played before injuring his toe and remains one of the better fantasy second baseman in a potent Braves lineup. Luis Guillorme and David Fletcher were splitting time at the keystone with Albies out. Fletcher was sent to the minors on Thursday.
Atlanta Braves starting pitching prospect Owen Murphy threw seven shutout innings with 10 strikeouts en route to his third victory of the season. Murphy brought a no-hitter into the seventh inning but surrendered a leadoff triple to second baseman Loidel Chapelli. The 20-year-old is now riding a stellar 1.13 ERA and 0.63 WHIP in 24 innings at High-A. This season has been a major turnaround for Murphy, as he posted a 4.76 ERA and 1.47 WHIP in 17 innings at High-A last year. The fifth-ranked prospect in the Atlanta system, according to MLB Pipeline, is not projected to reach the major leagues until 2026 but should continue to raise his dynasty stock as he moves through the minor leagues.
Atlanta Braves starting pitcher Reynaldo Lopez didn't factor into the decision in Wednesday's 4-3 win over the Marlins but pitched another great game, throwing seven strong innings while allowing just one run on three hits (one home run) and a 2:6 BB:K. That makes four straight quality starts to begin the season and the 30-year-old has stepped up big at a time when the Braves needed it after Spencer Strider was lost for the year and Max Fried got off to a rough start. The 30-year-old hasn't been a regular starter since 2019 when he made 33 starts for the Chicago White Sox, but he looks the part so far in 2024 with a 0.72 ERA (2.71 FIP), 0.88 WHIP, and a 17.4% K-BB% in 25 IP. His next start lines up Tuesday in Seattle, the team that currently has the highest amount of strikeouts per game this season.
Atlanta Braves second baseman Ozzie Albies (toe) ran the bases as part of his workout on Wednesday. He appears to still be moving around well and is eligible to come off the 10-day injured list on Friday. Albies is recovering from a fractured right big toe that he suffered on April 16 and continues to make good progress. There's a chance the 27-year-old is activated when eligible on Friday to rejoin the lineup for the start of a series against the Cleveland Guardians without going on a minor-league rehab assignment. Albies has already been fielding ground balls and swinging a bat. Luis Guillorme and David Fletcher have been splitting time at the keystone for the Braves with Albies out. Fantasy managers will want to get Albies back into their starting lineups right away if he returns this weekend, as he was hitting .317 (20-for-63) with two homers, 14 RBI and two steals before his injury.