Jorge Mateo starts again at shortstop in homestand opener

BOSTON, MA - MAY 28: Ronald Acuña Jr. #13 of the Atlanta Braves celebrates with teammate Jorge Mateo #2 after hitting a grand slam in the sixth inning during the game between the Atlanta Braves and the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park on Thursday, May 28, 2026 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Natali

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With a matchup of Bryce Elder vs Kevin Gausman on the mound in game 1 of the series against Toronto and of the two-series homestand, the Braves are once again rolling with Jorge Mateo over Ha-Seong Kim at shortstop. Mateo is the hot hand and has been legitimately very good for Atlanta this season, providing solid defense at shortstop and surprisingly good offense.

Meanwhile the Blue Jays roll with George Springer leading off at

DH and Vladdy batting third and playing first, though their offense has really struggled this year. Vladdy seems to have some batted ball luck that has gone against him, but Toronto hasn’t been the dominant team they hoped for. Let’s hope they stay that way for at least the weekend.