Drake Baldwin Feels at Game Speed Again After Return to Lineup

Drake Baldwin missed nearly a month with an oblique strain, and the timing made things difficult for an Atlanta team that was already dealing with injuries across the roster.

The Braves had been leaning on backup catchers since mid-May, and the production behind the plate dropped off in a real way while Baldwin sat out.

He went on the injured list after a game against the Marlins on May 18, and the team went from having one of the best offensive catchers in baseball to filling the spot with a mix of options that struggled to produce much at all.

That all changed Tuesday night when Baldwin stepped back into the leadoff spot against the San Francisco Giants and connected on a 3-1 sinker from Adrian Houser, sending it 473 feet to dead center at Truist Park for a solo home run in the first inning.

It was the longest home run hit by any player in Major League Baseball this season, leaving the bat at 112.8 mph and beating out a 471-foot shot from Nick Kurtz from earlier in the week.

"I think coming back from injuries like that, it's just knowing you're ready to play at game speed, and being able to have a swing like that definitely builds confidence," Baldwin said. "It's just great to be with this group of guys again, getting out there."

Manager Walt Weiss called Baldwin "different" after the game and pointed to how rare it is for someone to take a month off and launch a ball that far on his first swing back.

A moment like that gets a clubhouse going, and it spoke to the player Baldwin has become since breaking through in 2025.

In his rookie season, he hit .274 with 19 home runs and 80 RBI on his way to winning NL Rookie of the Year, and his early numbers this year had already suggested a leap before the injury shut him down.

Before going on the injured list, Baldwin was hitting .303 with 13 home runs and a .931 OPS, and Tuesday's blast was his 14th of the year.

Even with the missed time, those numbers still hold up against any catcher in the National League right now.

He leads the early All-Star voting at the position, and an argument could be made that his absence only helped the case, given how much the Braves' offense missed him while he was on the shelf.

Atlanta is 46-27 and holds first place in the NL East by 6.5 games, and having Baldwin back in the middle of that lineup only makes the Braves more complete heading into the summer.

A team that was already winning without him just got one of its most important players back, and if Tuesday was any sign, Baldwin is ready to pick up where he left off.