The Atlanta Braves made a Michael Harris decision on Saturday.
Michael Harris is off to one of the best starts on an Atlanta Braves team that currently looks like the best team in MLB. Atlanta enters Saturday with a 23-10 record, the best mark in the league, and Harris has been a major reason why.
Through 31 games, the 25-year-old center fielder has posted a .324 batting average, .358 on-base percentage, .926 OPS, seven home runs and 22 RBIs. His offensive production has matched the form he showed during his Rookie of the Year campaign in 2022.
But over the past week, Harris has been limited by nagging left quad tightness. The injury has kept him out of center field since Wednesday, and he did not start in either of the last two games, Thursday’s series finale against the Detroit Tigers or Friday’s series opener in Coors Field. Instead, he was used only as a pinch-hitter.
After starting back-to-back games on the bench, manager Walt Weiss decided to place Harris back in the starting nine. The Braves announced their lineup for Saturday’s game against the Colorado Rockies and Harris drew the start at DH, hitting fifth in the batting order.
The decision comes one day after Harris delivered one of the most clutch swings of the season. In Friday’s pinch-hit appearance, he launched a go-ahead two-run home run that lifted Atlanta to an 8-6 victory. Harris has continued to show how dangerous his bat can be, even when he is not fully healthy.
For now, Harris will return strictly as the designated hitter. It remains unclear when he will be able to resume playing center field, and the Braves are expected to be cautious. Weiss admitted earlier this week if it continues to progress Harris may need a stint on the 10-day injured list.
A significant portion of Harris value comes from his elite defense in the outfield, and Atlanta does not want to risk turning a minor issue into something more serious, especially this early in the regular season.
Still, his bat alone makes a major impact. Harris has looked every bit like the offensive player he was projected to become when the Braves drafted him in the third round of the 2019 MLB Draft. Now in his fifth season, this has the potential to be his best offensive year yet, and he has quickly become one of Atlanta’s most valuable players in 2026.
With the Braves back in World Series contention after a disappointing 2025 season, keeping Harris healthy and in the lineup will be essential.