Braves Rumors: Sleeper trade target, Kyle Wright move clears path, back-breaking slumps

Braves Rumors: 3 slumps causing the Braves latest skid

On the whole, things are still good in Braves Country. Atlanta still holds a five-game lead in the NL East. However, after getting swept by Toronto, it’s clear that the club is operating on all cylinders right now, going 5-5 in their last 10 games and seeing that sizeable lead in the division start to get chipped away at.

Obviously, injuries have played a role in this recent decline for the Bravos. But the fact of the matter is that, among the players who have been in the lineup or on the field, there have been some costly slumps.

Matt Olson is perhaps the most notable at the plate. Starting all 13 games for the Braves in May, the first baseman still leads the team in home runs on the season with 11, but he has been struggling mightily overall. Yes, he has walked 14 times for a solid .361 OBP, but he’s hitting just .170 on the month and has struck out 17 times in 61 plate appearances while tallying three homers but no other extra-base hits.

The biggest slumps have been in the bullpen, though, namely on the back end with Raisel Iglesias and A.J. Minter. Iglesias’ return was supposed to mark a turning point for the bullpen but, instead, he’s been an issue. In four appearances, he’s lasted just 3.1 innings while giving up six hits, one walk and four earned runs.

Minter has been worse, at least in terms of the span of his struggles. In seven appearances, he’s been absolutely shelled, giving up 10 base runners and five earned runs, amounting to a 7.11 ERA and 1.58 WHIP over 6.1 innings.

Olson, Iglesias and Minter are counted upon to be stalwarts for the Braves and players they can rely on. So it’s no shock that their recent fall from near-unbeatable has coincided with these players not doing their part.