Harris II (back) remains sidelined on Friday

No surprise here after Harris made an early exit from Tuesday’s eventual suspended contest in the second inning with lower back tightness. The 25-year-old outfielder battled the same issue earlier this month. He’ll likely receive a couple extra days off to address the lingering issue and hopefully put it to bed. It’ll be Mauricio Dubón drawing the start in centerfield during the nightcap contest of Wednesday’s twin bill at Truist Park.

Harris singled and scored a run before leaving Tuesday’s rain-soaked series opener at Truist Park. He was replaced by Eli White in left field. It’s possible his exit was precautionary in nature since he missed time with a back issue earlier this month. There should be an update on his status following the contest.

White put the Braves on the board with a double to drive in a run in the second inning. He then extended the lead with a solo homer in the fourth, driving in two of the team’s three runs on the day. White added a double in the seventh for his third extra-base hit. Saturday marked his first start in a week. The 31-year-old is hitting .244/.294/.436 with three homers and 14 RBI across 85 plate appearances.

Braves manager Walt Weiss said late Tuesday that Acuña was day-to-day and that they didn’t think the injury was as severe as the previous hamstring injury that kept him out for 17 days last month. However, an MRI today must have told a different story. Acuña will miss at least the next 10 days, and potentially longer, since the Braves have a comfortable lead in the NL East and will want to make sure their star player is healthy. Soft tissue injuries tend to recur, and Acuña has also had two knee surgeries, so even though he has 15 steals already this season, there is a chance that the collection of lower-body injuries may keep him from reaching the heights we saw in 2023. Eli White should see regular starts in the outfield while Acuña is sidelined.

Acuña came up limping after attempting to beat out a fourth-inning ground ball down the third-base line. He was immediately replaced by Eli White in right field. He finished 0-for-2 with a strikeout out of the leadoff spot. He’ll undergo further evaluation to determine the severity of the issue. There should be an update on his status shortly.

Harris is back patrolling center field and hitting second after being held out of Atlanta’s lineup for a pair of games against the Pirates over the weekend due to a lingering back issue. The 25-year-old came off the bench to deliver a bases-clearing double during Sunday’s comeback victory.

Harris has been battling a back issue and wasn’t healthy enough to start on Sunday, but he still delivered the game-winning hit. He’s in the midst of a career-best campaign. While his walk rate remains uninspiring, Harris’ bat-to-ball metrics have erupted in his age-25 season. His quality of contact is not only the best of his career but some of the best in the sport. Atlanta is off on Monday before a six-game road trip to face the White Sox and Mets.

The dynamic 25-year-old was pulled from Friday’s game due to tightness in his back. The Braves still believe that it’s a minor issue and that Harris won’t require a trip to the injured list. Mauricio Dubon will once again take his place in center field and will bat second for the Braves against Mason Montgomery and the Pirates on Sunday afternoon in Atlanta.

Mauricio Dubón’s recent power surge enables Atlanta to give Harris some extra time off after making an early exit from Friday’s series opener with back tightness. The 25-year-old center fielder is day-to-day heading into Sunday’s series finale at Truist Park.

Braves manager Walt Weiss told reporters after the game that it was only a minor issue and that Harris is expected to return to the team’s lineup on Saturday. Before exiting, the 25-year-old outfielder had been 2-for-5 with a run scored and a pair of strikeouts.