Sunday's series finale wraps a 3-game set at Truist Park with first pitch at 1:35 PM ET, and the matchup on paper is two teams trending in opposite directions. The Brewers have been the best team in baseball since late April, and they walk in with a 45-26 record despite a starting rotation that's basically held together with duct tape. The Braves, meanwhile, are clinging to first in the NL East at 46-27 — a number that's starting to feel less safe by the day.
Atlanta has dropped 4 of its last 5, including back-to-back-to-back losses to the Giants this week at home by a combined 21-9. They've now lost 6 of their last 7 overall and the offense has gone cold at exactly the wrong time. The pitching matchup card above tells you who's toeing the rubber, but the bigger context is that Walt Weiss is trying to stitch together a rotation without Spencer Strider, Spencer Schwellenbach, and AJ Smith-Shawver — three of the arms that were supposed to anchor this staff.
Milwaukee comes in riding a 4-of-5 stretch, capped by a 9-4 thumping of Cleveland on Tuesday. What's wild is the Brewers are doing this without Brandon Woodruff (still rehabbing in High-A), Quinn Priester (60-day IL after a thoracic surgeon visit), Logan Henderson, and Coleman Crow. Pat Murphy keeps pulling rabbits out of the hat, and the bullpen — even minus DL Hall and Jared Koenig — keeps finding ways to lock down close games. The 2-1 win over Cleveland on Monday is exactly the kind of grimy result this team has lived on for 2 months.
For Atlanta, the injury list is the real story heading into Sunday. Ronald Acuna Jr. is, per Weiss, "a long way" from a return off the 10-day IL with the hamstring. Michael Harris II sat Wednesday with back trouble. Sean Murphy is still in a splint behind the plate, Jurickson Profar is serving his 162-game PED suspension, and Kyle Farmer is on the shelf. That's a lineup that's missing its leadoff dynamo, its center fielder, its starting catcher, and a starting outfielder — and it's facing arguably the hottest team in the league.
- Day-To-DayBrandon Sproat SP — Manager Pat Murphy said after Wednesday's win over Cleveland that Sproat's hamstring cramps are minor and won't impact his next scheduled start, Adam McCalvy of MLB.com reports.
- 10-Day-ILBrandon Lockridge LF — Lockridge received a platelet-rich plasma injection in his right knee Thursday, MLB.com reports.
- 15-Day-ILBrandon Woodruff SP — Woodruff (shoulder) allowed three runs over 5.1 innings while notching six strikeouts in a rehab start with High-A Wisconsin on Tuesday.
- 15-Day-ILColeman Crow SP — Crow said Sunday that an MRI on his right forearm revealed a mild flexor strain, Adam McCalvy of MLB.com reports.
- 15-Day-ILDL Hall RP — Hall received an anti-inflammatory injection for his left pectoral strain Friday, MLB.com reports.
- 15-Day-ILJared Koenig RP — Koenig (elbow) transferred his rehab assignment to Triple-A Nashville on Tuesday and could be activated from the injured list in about a week, Todd Rosiak of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.
- 15-Day-ILCarlos Rodriguez RP — The Brewers placed Rodriguez on the 15-day injured list Monday due to a right shoulder impingement, MLB.com reports.
- 15-Day-ILLogan Henderson SP — Henderson received an injection in his back Tuesday, Adam McCalvy of MLB.com reports.
- Day-To-DayMichael Harris II CF — Harris (back) is not in the lineup for Wednesday's game against San Francisco.
- 10-Day-ILRonald Acuna Jr. RF — Atlanta manager Walt Weiss said Wednesday that Acuna (hamstring) is a "long way" from returning from the 10-day injured list, Mark Bowman of MLB.com reports.
- 10-Day-ILKyle Farmer DH — Farmer went 1-for-3 with a double, a run scored and two RBI in Sunday's rout of the Guardians.
- 15-Day-ILTyler Kinley RP — Kinley (4-2) picked up the win over the Nationals on Friday, striking out two in a perfect 11th inning.
- suspensionJurickson Profar LF — Profar will miss the full 2026 season after the appeal of his 162-game PED suspension was denied Thursday, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.
- 60-Day-ILSpencer Strider SP — Atlanta transferred Strider (elbow) to the 60-day injured list Wednesday.
- 60-Day-ILSean Murphy C — Murphy had the cast on his left hand removed Tuesday and is now wearing a splint to protect his fractured middle finger, Grant McAuley of the Marietta Daily Journal reprots.
- 60-Day-ILSpencer Schwellenbach SP — Schwellenbach (elbow) has begun throwing on flat ground, Chad Bishop of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.
The schedule spot also favors Milwaukee. The Brewers have been at home all week and travel into a Braves club that just played a rain-soaked split doubleheader on Wednesday and is mentally on the ropes. Atlanta still has the ceiling — this is a 46-win team for a reason — but the runway to right the ship before Sunday afternoon is short, and the Brewers are not the team you want to face when you need a get-well game.