Braves news: Chris Sale concern, Michael Harris II revival, Schwellenbach trust

After defeating the New York Mets on Tuesday night, the Atlanta Braves are just one game back of the final Wild Card spot in the National League. Atlanta's struggled with injuries the entire season, but Brian Snitker and Co. refuse to make excuses. This club is talented enough to clinch a playoff spot at the very least, and possibly make some noise once they get there.

With the win on Tuesday, Atlanta is now 6-5 on the season against the Mets. The Philadelphia Phillies won the NL East on Monday, making way for the series of the season for their hated rivals, the Mets and Braves. New York or Atlanta could finish the season as high as the second NL Wild Card spot, or possibly out of the playoffs altogether. There's a lot to play for heading into Wednesday.

Braves have a lot of trust in Spencer Schwellenbach

Snitker raised some eyebrows over the weekend when he released his rotation for the Mets series. By pitching Schwellenbach on Tuesday, Snitker showcased how much trust he has in the 24-year-old from Michigan. Schwellenbach rewarded that trust with an outstanding outing, throwing seven innings of one-run ball.

Beyond Schwellenbach, the Braves will start Chris Sale in the second game of the series. As FanSided's Zach Rotman noted this weekend, that could force Schwellenbach to start a Game 162 if needed, rather than the likely NL Cy Young winner in Sale.

Considering the season Sale has had, it's wonderful the Braves plan to pitch him in this series. It says a lot about Schwellenbach that Snitker would roll the dice on the young right-hander in a winner-take-all scenario if necessary, rather than the trusted lefty Sale.

Michael Harris II overcomes past struggles against the Mets

The real star of the show for the Braves on Tuesday was Michael Harris II. The Atlanta outfielder robbed Luisangel Acuña, the brother of injured Braves star Ronald Acuña Jr., of a base hit in the top of the fifth inning. The highlight-reel grab set the tone and was a deflating blow for a Mets team that struggled to get much going offensively all night against Schwellenbach.

Offensively, Harris II was just as dominant, recording three base hits in four at-bats. Harris II hit a home run in the fourth inning off Mets starting pitcher Luis Severino, and had two RBIs on the night. It's been a tough season for Harris, who has struggled with inconsistency at the plate and injuries. Thankfully for Braves fans, it seems like he's finding his stride at the right time.

Should Braves be concerned about Chris Sale matchup?

Sale is the NL Cy Young frontrunner for a reason, so it's tough to find any flaws in his game right about now. However, the left-hander has struggled at times against New York Mets star Francisco Lindor. Lindor ended Game 1 of the series on the on-deck circle, which provided a hint to Snitker and Co. that he could start on Wednesday. When healthy, Lindor boasts an NL MVP resume of his own, and were it not for Shohei Ohtani would be among the favorites to win the award.

Lindor has dominated Sale throughout his career, and is 14-for-34 with two home runs and eight RBIs in 35 official plate appearances against the left-hander. Now, this is a different version of Sale that Lindor could face on Wednesday, but he should be about as confident as one can get despite the layoff. Lindor last played on Sept. 15, when he recorded a hit against the Philadelphia Phillies.

Not many players boast such impressive stats against a player of Sale's caliber. We'll see if Lindor can ride that confidence to a couple of base knocks on Wednesday, assuming he can play at all.