04/24/26 10:16:00
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04/24 22:15 CDT Braves CF Harris scratched from the lineup, then comes through
as pinch-hitter vs Phillies
Braves CF Harris scratched from the lineup, then comes through as pinch-hitter
vs Phillies
By PAUL NEWBERRY
Associated Press
ATLANTA (AP) --- Michael Harris II is on quite a roll for the Atlanta Braves.
Even when he's ailing, he still finds a way to come up with the biggest hit of
the game.
After being scratched from the lineup because of tightness in his left quad,
Harris delivered as a pinch-hitter against the Philadelphia Phillies on Friday
night.
Harris drove a two-run double against the wall in left-center off Andrew
Painter to lead the Braves to a 5-3 victory, handing the Phillies their 10th
straight loss.
"He's really feeling it right now," manager Walt Weiss said. "We've seen him
like this before, but this might be another level."
Harris left the previous day's victory at Washington in the seventh inning, and
the Braves decided to play it safe by not starting him in the opener of a
weekend series against the struggling Phillies.
But with Atlanta trailing 3-2, two runners aboard and two outs in the sixth
inning, Weiss decided to send Harris up against fading Phillies starter Andrew
Painter.
One could hardly blame the manager. Harris is off to a blistering start for the
first-place Braves, hitting .326 with six homers and 18 RBIs.
"If the situation showed itself, I was going to use him," Weiss said. "That was
probably the only time we could guarantee he was gonna face a right-handed
pitcher. With a couple of guys on and two outs, we took a shot right there.
Mikey was ready. He had been swinging in the cage. He was ready for that moment
and got a huge hit for us."
Harris had faced Painter just last weekend in Philadelphia. He homered in a 4-2
victory that completed a three-game sweep.
"I kind of knew what he had," Harris said. "I just went up there and tried to
put a good swing on it."
Harris looked just fine as he jogged into second base. He didn't even feel his
quad as he watched the ball sail over the head of leaping Brandon Marsh in left
field.
"I couldn't even tell you" if it was hurting, Harris said. "I was worried about
the ball getting down."
Even so, he was immediately replaced by pinch-runner Jorge Mateo, who stole
third and came home for an insurance run on a wild pitch by Painter.
It's been quite a season --- on and off the field --- for Harris. He and his
wife, Esther, welcomed their first child two weeks ago, a boy named Michael
Harris III. He's known as Trip, which is short for triple.
"It's pretty good," Harris said, breaking into a big smile when asked what it
was like to a new father.
The NL rookie of the year in 2022, Harris struggled mightily to regain the form
he showed in that debut season. But he started to turns things around in the
second half of 2025, and that momentum has carried through the first month of
this campaign.
Asked to explain his turnaround, Harris replied, "I don't think I can, and
that's the best thing about it. Just let it happen. I can't really figure out
what's going right and what's was going wrong before. I just know what feels
good and trying to stay this way."
The Braves have nine of 10 for the best record in the majors at 19-8. Most
notably, they already have a 10 1/2-game lead over the two-time reigning NL
East champion Phillies with the season not yet a month old.
"We can't take that for granted," Harris said. "We've got to keep our foot on
their necks."
Harris' status is day to day. The Braves hope he'll be back in the lineup
Saturday, but they're not taking any chances.
"We're gonna be cautious," Weiss said. "That soft-tissue stuff can be tricky.
We want to use good judgment here."
Besides, Harris showed he can do plenty of damage with just one swing.
"He's the GOAT," said Braves starter Grant Holmes, who picked up the win off
Harris' big blow. "It's crazy. It's like every time he's up there, he gets a
hit. He's coming through big time for the guys."
___
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb
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