Series Preview: Dodgers open marquee home series against Braves

Ohtani snapped an 0-for-18 skid with a two-hit performance Wednesday, but his season has become strangely split. On the mound, he’s looked dominant, carrying a 0.97 ERA through six starts while pitching deeper into games each outing. At the plate, though, the timing has felt inconsistent by his standards. The Dodgers are still trying to balance those two realities in real time, especially after holding him out of the lineup entirely during his last pitching start in Houston.

The encouraging sign for Los Angeles is that they no longer need Ohtani to carry every offensive inning alone.

Then there’s Hyeseong Kim, whose role keeps growing.

Initially viewed as more of a versatile depth option, Kim has quietly become one of the Dodgers’ most reliable situational hitters early this season. His ability to extend at-bats and create pressure on the bases has helped compensate for injuries to Mookie Betts and Tommy Edman, both still sidelined heading into this series.

The biggest storyline, however, may sit on the mound.

Friday sets up as a difficult opener with Emmet Sheehan facing Chris Sale, who has looked like a Cy Young contender again with a 2.14 ERA. Sheehan’s numbers haven’t fully reflected his stuff yet, but hard contact has been a recurring issue — something that becomes dangerous against a Braves lineup built around power bats like Matt Olson and Austin Riley.

Saturday shifts attention toward Roki Sasaki, whose first MLB season continues to feel like a work in progress. The raw talent is obvious, but Atlanta presents another test for a rookie still learning how to navigate veteran lineups once hitters stop expanding the zone.

Then there’s Justin Wrobleski, who has quietly become one of the Dodgers’ steadiest arms. The left-hander enters Sunday at 5-0 with a 1.25 ERA and has consistently given the Dodgers controlled, efficient outings during a stretch where the rotation has been hit hard by injuries.

Braves (26-12, 4th in NL East)

The Braves arrive in Los Angeles coming off their first series loss of the season, but there’s little sense of panic around a club that still looks like one of the most complete teams in baseball.

If anything, this series feels like a chance for Atlanta to reassert itself against another National League heavyweight.

Matt Olson has been central to that conversation all season. The former Dodger Stadium villain enters the weekend already with 300 career home runs and swinging one of the hottest bats in baseball. His late-game homer against Seattle earlier this week was another reminder of how dangerous Atlanta becomes when Olson starts driving the ball consistently to all fields.

The Braves remain one of the league’s most dangerous hard-contact teams, ranking near the top of baseball in barrels and balls hit over 95 mph. That’s particularly relevant against Dodgers starters like Sheehan and Sasaki, both of whom have struggled at times when contact gets elevated.

Austin Riley and Ozzie Albies continue to give Atlanta length offensively, while Mauricio Dubón has quietly become an important secondary piece since arriving earlier this season. Even without Ronald Acuña Jr. currently active, the Braves lineup rarely gives pitchers a clean inning to breathe.

But the story entering this series starts with Atlanta’s rotation.

Chris Sale has looked every bit like a Cy Young contender again, allowing more than one earned run in just one start outside of a single rough outing in early April. Spencer Strider’s numbers remain inflated after his return from injury, but the pure stuff still flashes at an elite level. Then Bryce Elder, quietly, has turned back into one of Atlanta’s most reliable contact managers after an uneven 2025.

That trio against the Dodgers’ current rotation setup creates a fascinating contrast.

Pitching Probables

Friday, May 8: Emmet Sheehan (2-1, 5.23 ERA) vs. Chris Sale (6-1, 2.14 ERA)

Saturday, May 9: Roki Sasaki (1-3, 5.97 ERA) vs. Spencer Strider (0-0, 8.10 ERA)

Sunday, May 10: Justin Wrobleski (5-0, 1.25 ERA) vs. Bryce Elder (3-1, 2.02 ERA)

Injury Report

Dodgers

Day-to-day: none

10-day IL: SS Mookie Betts, INF/OF Tommy Edman

15-day IL: RHP Ben Casparius, RHP Edwin Diaz, RHP Brusdar Graterol, RHP Landon Knack, RHP Brock Stewart, LHP Blake Snell

60-day IL: RHP Jake Cousins, INF/OF Kiké Hernández, RHP Bobby Miller, RHP Evan Phillips, RHP Gavin Stone

Braves

Day-to-day: none

10-day IL: RF Ronald Acuña Jr., SS Ha-Seong Kim

15-day IL: LHP Dylan Dodd, RHP AJ Smith-Shawver, RHP Hurston Waldrep

60-day IL: RHP Joe Jiménez, RHP Spencer Schwellenbach, LHP Joey Wentz, LHP Danny Young