The North Port Report: Atlanta's Offense Keeps Rolling In a Night Game
Here's everything you need to know from Braves Spring Training in North Port, FL from Friday
Welcome to The North Port Report, your nightly notebook from Braves spring training. Each evening, we’ll run through the biggest developments from camp: roster battles, injury updates, standout performances, and the small details that matter more than they seem in mid-March. The games may not count yet, but the information does.
Here’s what stood out today
Both teams pivoted from the announced matchup, with Paul Skenes not making the road trip and Bryce Elder being bumped in favor of José Suarez. The lefty ended up going 5.1 innings with only one run allowed on two hits, walking two and striking out six. He picked up eleven whiffs and a 31% CSW, pairing the four-seamer and changeup well (11 combined whiffs). He threw 75 pitches tonight and appears poised to be the sixth starter to open the season.
Several of Atlanta’s leverage relievers got in the game to finish this one off, with Joel Payamps, Raisel Iglesias, and Robert Suarez combining for no runs on two hits and six strikeouts across the final 3.2 innings. Both Iglesias and Suarez featured their changeup tonight, furthering my concern that their similar arsenals will allow opponents to get more comfortable against the pair in a longer series. In an effort to be different, the slider-less Suarez introduced a cutter for the first time tonight. He threw only two, inducing no swings and leaving both of them out of the strike zone, but this is the same number of cutters that he threw in all of 2025.
On the offensive side, Austin Riley hit his fourth homer of the spring and drove in two, with Matt Olson doubling and driving in a run. Ronald Acuña Jr. went 0-1 with a strikeout and two walks in his first game action since returning from the WBC. The final three runs came from some heroic efforts from the backups and depth pieces; Luas Guanipa went 2-2 with three RBI, while Cal Conley hit a double, stole a base, and scored a run.
Quick Hits
Mike Yastrzemski has missed the last few games with pink eye, but he’s expected back soon. He hasn‘t played since Monday and hasn’t been in the field since last Saturday, but look for him to be back no later than Sunday.
The Braves made some moves today, both on the signing and the ‘shrinking the size of camp’ front.
Per MLB Network’s Jon Heyman, the Braves have signed first baseman Rowdy Tellez to a minor league deal. He’s a Dominic Smith insurance policy, having a three-year wRC+ trend of 94 against righties and only a 54 against lefties.
The team cleared more guys out of the major league side of camp, optioning Dylan Dodd to Gwinnett and reassigning RHP JR Ritchie, C Sandy León, INF Luke Williams, and OFs José Azócar and Ben Gamel to minor league camp.
With Dodd and Ritchie both going down, the final two bullpen spots are likely down to some combination of José Suarez, Martín Pérez, and Didier Fuentes.
There’s no official announcement yet as to the Saturday starter. Boston will be sending Garrett Crochet to the JetBlue Park mound in Ft. Myers.
Roster Battle Tracker
Stock UP
Jorge Mateo. I had him on the roster bubble earlier this week and he responded in a big way. Starting in left field, he went 1-3 with a run scored and an RBI, also stealing a base and having a batted ball over 100 mph. Showing that he can capably handle the outfield as well as shortstop gives him some extra roster insurance as he battles to keep a bench spot in the final week of spring.
Stock DOWN
I don’t really have anything here - no one struck out more than once, the relievers all did their jobs, and Atlanta won handily.
Observation of the Day
It’s honestly hard to get as up for these games after watching the WBC. I had this one on, but found my attention drifting to college baseball and other, more competitive baseball being played at this time of year.
Tomorrow’s watch list
As we approach some of the final few games of Grapefruit League play, which bench pieces lock down their roster spots? I’m going to be watching Kyle Farmer and Brett Wisely tomorrow.