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Atlanta Braves starting pitcher Drew Smyly (knee) will be evaluated in Philadelphia on Sunday. The veteran exited after only four innings during Saturday's matchup against the Phillies because of left knee pain. Although the team hasn't ruled him out for his next start, at least not yet, fantasy managers will undoubtedly be anxiously awaiting an update.
Atlanta Braves starting pitcher Drew Smyly (knee) exited Saturday's matchup against Philadelphia. The 32-year-old southpaw lasted just four innings before leaving with left knee pain, allowing three hits while striking out three batters. Smyly was replaced by Josh Tomlin, with more on the veteran's status likely to come sometime soon.
Atlanta Braves outfielder Ender Inciarte (COVID-19) was activated from the COVID-19 injured list and then designated for assignment on Saturday, according to David O'Brien of The Athletic. Inciarte was slashing .215/.276/.316 with two home runs, one steal, 10 RBI and 11 runs scored over 52 games this year, as he has struggled at the plate for three straight seasons now. He shouldn't have been rostered in any format before this move, but now he absolutely should be cut to the waiver wire.
Atlanta Braves outfielder Ronald Acuna Jr. (knee) underwent successful surgery to repair his torn ACL on Wednesday, according to David O'Brien of The Athletic. O'Brien adds that while the team does not have an official timetable for Acuna's return, rehab from a torn ACL typically takes about nine to 10 months to complete. With that potential timeframe in mind, that would place Acuna's return currently as sometime in April or May 2022. There are many factors that can affect his rehab, so it's hard to say definitely when he will return at this point. But that being said, it seems to be a good guess that Acuna could miss the first month of the 2022 season. This could be a boon to fantasy managers next year, as this could cause Acuna to drop down a few spots in the draft rankings. Acuna put up great numbers this season prior to the injury, slashing .283/.394/.596 with 24 homers, 17 steals, 52 RBI and 72 runs scored over 82 games. There's no reason managers shouldn't expect a similar performance in 2022 when he returns.
Atlanta Braves outfielder Joc Pederson was unable to get much going at the plate during Thursday's game against the Philadelphia Phillies. In fact, Pederson went 0-for-5 at the plate versus lefty Matt Moore. To be fair, Pederson does not hit left pitching well, so this wasn't an ideal matchup for him. He has already shown he can be a nice power bat for Atlanta. However, there are going to be plenty of these hitless contests, especially against left-handed pitching. Sadly, the Braves don't have a lot of depth in the outfield, so Pederson will continue to get at-bats. Fantasy managers know what they will get from Pederson at this point.