Atlanta Braves outfielder Ronald Acuña Jr. chimed in on the Braves' decision not to start left-hander Chris Sale for Game 2 of the NLDS. The Braves decided to rest Sale for Game 2 after he pitched twice in the Wild Card Series, making left-hander Ray Kerr their starter for the second game of the series. Sale has been the Braves' best pitcher all season, posting a 2.16 ERA while striking out 200 batters on the year.
In the playoffs, Sale has 12 strikeouts through 7.2 innings while allowing three earned runs. He last appeared for the team in a relief appearance in the third game of the Wild Card Series, throwing 1.1 scoreless innings. When asked about the decision to rest Sale ahead of Game 2, Acuña put his focus elsewhere.
"I don't know what I'm going to say about this because I can’t control that," Acuña said. "I can control what I can control. So today we go out and try to win." The Braves lost the first game of the series to the Los Angeles Dodgers, 5-3, so a win in Game 2 is of the utmost importance ahead of their return to Atlanta for Games 3 and 4.
Acuña is one of several players on the Braves who can swing a game into his team's favor, as he has been one of the best players in MLB for several years. He had a slower year in 2026, but that didn't stop him from crushing 20 homers and logging 55 RBIs on the year. A former NL MVP winner, Acuña had a .796 OPS this year and stole 20 bases as the Braves finished atop the NL East for the first time since 2023.
The Dodgers may have won the first game of the series against the Braves, but they struggled against them throughout the regular season. They won a close series at Dodger Stadium early in the year, two games to one, but the Braves struck back at the end of August with a three-game sweep of the World Series champions. Sale was a big part of that series win, tossing a complete game shutout against the Dodgers, so his appearance against the Dodgers—whenever it may come—will give the Braves a big boost.
That time won't come in the second game of the series, though, which begins Sunday at 8 p.m.
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