ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) — The Atlanta Braves finalized their 26-man roster Wednesday ahead of Friday’s season opener against the Kansas City Royals.
The team has already dealt with several injuries this spring. Most of the sidelined players, except Joey Wentz, who tore his ACL during a Grapefruit League game, are expected to contribute later in the season.
For now, the Braves must make do with the available roster as they begin a 13-game stretch to open the 2026 campaign.
Catchers (2): Drake Baldwin, Jonah Heim
This is the catching duo that’ll open the season for Atlanta.
There’s no surprises here. Sean Murphy is supposed to return in May from hip surgery. It’s too soon to speak with certainty regarding Murphy’s injury, but Heim will be Baldwin’s backup for the time being.
Infielders (7): Matt Olson, Ozzie Albies, Mauricio Dubón, Austin Riley, Jorge Mateo, Kyle Farmer, Dominic Smith
Olson, Albies, Riley and Dubón are expected to anchor the infield, at least until Ha-Seong Kim returns from his finger injury and resumes duties at shortstop. Farmer and Smith, who signed split contracts Tuesday, add depth to infield. Smith, a left-handed hitter, could also see time at designated hitter against right-handed pitching.
Outfielders (4): Ronald Acuña Jr., Michael Harris II, Mike Yastrzemski, Eli White
Jurickson Profar’s season-long suspension after testing positive for a performance-enhancing substance reshaped the team’s outfield plans. As a result, Yastrzemski is expected to see most of the playing time in left field, with White providing depth and serving as a pinch-runner when needed.
Rotation (5): Chris Sale, Reynaldo Lopez, Grant Holmes, Bryce Elder, Jose Suarez
This rotation once included Spencer Strider and Spencer Schwellenbach and could have featured Hurston Waldrep and Joey Wentz. All were sidelined by injuries this spring, forcing the team to lean on Elder and Suárez to round out the rotation behind Sale, López and Holmes.
With the team opening the season with 13 straight games, Didier Fuentes could take on a significant role as a long reliever. He impressed this spring, retiring 26 of the 27 batters he faced, including 17 by strikeout.
Manager Walt Weiss indicated Fuentes will eventually return to Triple-A to continue developing as a starter.
Bullpen (8): Raisel Iglesias, Robert Suarez, Dylan Lee, Tyler Kinley, Aaron Bummer, Joel Payamps, Osvaldo Bido, Didier Fuentes
As noted, Fuentes will serve as a long reliever for the time being, while Iglesias and Suárez anchor a bullpen projected to perform well this season. Lee, Kinley, Bummer and Payamps had a clear path to the opening-day roster, and Bido, claimed off waivers from the New York Yankees on Tuesday, will help the team navigate its 13-game season-opening stretch.
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