From The Diamond

The Atlanta Braves broke out in a big way at the plate over the weekend, slugging nine home runs and piling up 22 run in a series victory over the Tampa Bay Rays. But is that proof this group is finally getting back to normal as they once knew it?

Grant McAuley discussed a big weekend for the Atlanta lineup and some welcome signs at the plate from several sluggers, including Austin Riley. Though the bats did some serious work, another injury is threatening to destabilize the top of the order. Center fielder Michael Harris II will miss extended time after suffering a Grade-2 hamstring strain. Can Jarred Kelenic fill that void? And with Atlanta's rotation lined up to deploy six starters for a while, can the young prospects step up and cover important innings?

Special guests on the show include Tampa Bay radio broadcaster Neil Solondz, who discussed the state of the Rays -- another team searching for the offensive fire power it had a year ago. Matt Snyder of CBS Sports joins the show to discuss some of the recent gambling fallout and much more.

All of that and a trip around the big leagues that includes Snoop Dogg calling a baseball game on this episode of the show!

From The Diamond airs live on 92-9 The Game in Atlanta on Sundays from 5-7 pm ET. You can also subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. Every episode of the show and more great Braves coverage is available at FromTheDiamond.com.

The Atlanta Braves' offensive woes in May have grown from a frustration to concern as the club experienced more uneven play in the month of June.

Grant McAuley breaks down the recent trends for the club and the rest of MLB, which is also producing decidedly different results in 2024. While the bats have been searching for answers, Max Fried, Chris Sale and the Braves rotation continue to give the club a chance to win with solid pitching. How long can the pitching staff keep up its current level of production? When will the Atlanta lineup find its footing? Those are the questions the Braves are hoping to answer sooner than later.

Meanwhile, MLB's gambling issues could be growing after a recent suspension and some abhorrent behavior some players continue to be subjected to. Can the league walk the fine line of keeping gambling out of the game while simultaneously courting the ad revenue the industry could provide the sport?

Special guest Anthony Castrovince joins the show to discuss the addition of Negro Leagues statistics into the MLB record book. You'll hear about how this process played out and how the record keeping has evolved over the history of the sport.

From the vault on this episode: Hear former Braves great Dale Murphy tell the story behind two of the most iconic baseball posters from the 1980s. Murph tells the story of "Power Alley" and "Stickball" from inception, to photo shoot, to finished product and reflects on the legacy of Nike's promotional efforts in baseball some four decades ago.

From The Diamond airs live on 92-9 The Game in Atlanta on Sundays from 5-7 pm ET. You can also subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. Every episode of the show and more great Braves coverage is available at FromTheDiamond.com.

The Atlanta Braves fought their way through a challenging May, so will June once again be the month this club puts it all together? That's been the case each of the last two seasons.

Grant McAuley discusses all the Braves news of the past week and looks ahead to the three-city road trip which begins on Tuesday against the Boston Red Sox. Chris Sale, Max Fried and the rest of the starting rotation have done more than their fair share this season, even with the fifth spot still unsettled. Can they continue to post up while the offense gets back on track? Could young arms like Spencer Schwellenbach, Hurston Waldrep and others step into that final spot?

With Ronald Acuña Jr. out for the remainder of 2024, who will step into the leadoff role and how will Brian Snitker balance the rest of his lineup as they try to shake off a collective cold spell? You'll also hear from Braves GM Alex Anthopoulos, who appeared on 92-9 The Game on Friday to chat with Carl Dukes and Mike Bell. Where does the Atlanta executive stand on the challenges his club is facing and the need for reinforcements? That and more on this week's show.

As the Braves find themselves chasing the Phillies, we take a look at the NL East race with Casey Stern, host of "Unfiltered" on the Bleav Network. We'll also try to make sense of the mess the New York Mets found themselves in with a strange turn of events surrounding former reliever Jorge Lopez.

Also on the show, longtime catcher and current Foul Territory host Erik Kratz joins the show to dish on the Phillies, the Braves overcoming the loss of Acuña, unpack the "retirement" of Angel Hernandez, and chat about the process of writing his autobiography, "The Tao of the Backup Catcher," which is available wherever books are sold.

From The Diamond airs live on 92-9 The Game in Atlanta on Sundays from 5-7 pm ET. You can also subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. Every episode of the show and more great Braves coverage is available at FromTheDiamond.com.

The Atlanta Braves suffered another major injury blow, this one eerily reminiscent of a place they've been before. For the second time in three years, star right fielder Ronald Acuña Jr. suffered a torn ACL and is done for the season.

Grant McAuley discusses the challenges this latest injury present for both Acuña and the club and shares the reaction of several of his Braves teammates. Austin Riley, Sean Murphy, Michael Harris II and Adam Duvall all weigh in on the unfortunate news while manager Brian Snitker talks about where his club goes from here without their dynamic leadoff hitter.

You'll also hear from Braves color analyst C.J. Nitkowski of Bally Sports, who provides some insights on where the Braves stand at the Memorial Day checkpoint -- in an interview recorded prior to the Acuña injury. Plus, Geoff Ponts of Baseball America helps size up the Atlanta minor league system and some of the top arms who could make an impact in the big leagues or a big trade later this summer.

From The Diamond airs live on 92-9 The Game in Atlanta on Sundays from 5-7 pm ET. You can also subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. Every episode of the show and more great Braves coverage is available at FromTheDiamond.com.

The month of May has once again been a bit unkind to the Atlanta Braves, who seem like they are winning games in spite of their offense at the moment. Of course, the pitching staff has been pitching in more than its fair share to make it happen.

Grant McAuley discussed the latest Braves news from the week that was, including some encouraging signs for Matt Olson at the plate, but a discouraging injury update for Austin Riley that seems to have the third baseman in limbo as far as a return. You'll hear Riley's comments from Saturday as he described the ailment that has him stuck on the bench for the time being.

Meanwhile, Travis d'Arnaud also had a brush with injury but appears to have emerged unscathed while Sean Murphy's return to could be getting closer with an upcoming rehab assignment. Ronald Acuña Jr. is among those still searching for consistency and results, so did a day off help speed that process up?

You'll also hear from Atlanta reliever Jesse Chavez, who shares some insight on the inner workings of the bullpen. And we'll discuss the latest Players Only telecast on Bally Sports South with Brian McCann and Jeff Francoeur, who reflect on their friendship and the chance to reunite on the 20th anniversary of their rookie season.

Special guest Russell Dorsey of Yahoo Sports joins the show to discuss the state of the Toronto Blue Jays, a club that once seemed destined to become a powerhouse, but is now staring at the possibility that their homegrown stars are not only under-performing but could also bolt in free agency.

David Adler of MLB.com checks in to share the inner workings of Statcast's new bat-tracking metrics, from concept to the first iteration which debuted this past week. This latest evolution allows us to take a deeper look at how the swing works and who has the most explosive swing in MLB.

From The Diamond airs live on 92-9 The Game in Atlanta on Sundays from 5-7 pm ET. You can also subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. Every episode of the show and more great Braves coverage is available at FromTheDiamond.com.

The Atlanta Braves bounced back from a tough road trip to win a pair of series but are still not clicking on all cylinders.

Grant McAuley discusses the latest headlines and biggest stories from the week that was in Braves baseball, including big contributions from Chris Sale and Max Fried that highlighted a terrific run from the starting rotation. There were also some signs of life from some of Atlanta's biggest hitters, as Ronald Acuña Jr. and Matt Olson each left the yard over the weekend against the New York Mets. Can those two and a couple of other big bats get going as the weather heats up? Can any of them keep up with the torrid pace of Marcell Ozuna?

You'll also hear from Braves outfielders Adam Duvall and Jarred Kelenic, who discuss forming their partnership in left field, the early seasons highs and lows and much more. Atlanta third baseman Austin Riley shares his thoughts on how the club overcomes the down times in the season and comes out better for going through those.

Brad Rowland of Hammer Territory joins the show to size up some of the early trends for the Braves and promote his new podcast. All of that and a trip around the big leagues to touch on some of the biggest stories from across Major League Baseball are coming at you in this episode of From The Diamond.

From The Diamond airs live on 92-9 The Game in Atlanta on Sundays from 5-7 pm ET. You can also subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. Every episode of the show and more great Braves coverage is available at FromTheDiamond.com.

Where has the powerful Atlanta Braves offense gone? The past couple of weeks have produced very different results than anyone has been accustomed to. How soon can they turn things around?

Grant McAuley discusses the week that was for the Braves and the power outage that has spread through the batting order and proven costly in some one-run losses on the recently completed 1-5 road trip. Meanwhile, Atlanta's pitching is carrying the team for now, but a key reliever landed on the IL this week. How will the Braves bullpen adjust to at least a couple of weeks without Pierce Johnson?

Speaking of adjustments, Eno Sarris of The Athletic and host of the Rates & Barrels podcast joins the show to discuss the factors that have led to Ronald Acuña's slow start and how soon we can expect an adjustment that could get the former MVP back on track.

In our trip around the big leagues, the Marlins reminded the baseball world just who they are and what they're about with an early May trade, Nike was finally forced to make necessary changes to the MLB uniforms, superstar Mike Trout was sidelined by another injury and the Twins are throwing the biggest sausage party in baseball.

Mike Petriello of MLB.com checks in to share some insight and Statcast data that proves Ted Williams was indeed a great hitter. So, maybe we already knew that, but the research into Williams' legendary "red seat" home run was fascinating and Mike will share that story and his finding on the show.

From The Diamond airs live on 92-9 The Game in Atlanta on Sundays from 5-7 pm ET. You can also subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. Every episode of the show and more great Braves coverage is available at FromTheDiamond.com.

The Atlanta Braves put the finishing touches on a memorable nine-game stay at Truist Park with a walk-off win to take a series from the Cleveland Guardians on Sunday.

Grant McAuley looks back at the week that was and the homestand at large as the Atlanta Braves once again hold the best record in MLB after topping Cleveland to finish a 7-2 run at home. You'll hear about how the starting rotation may be primed for big things even without Spencer Strider, how that affects the bullpen, and why Atlanta offense could get even better as the weather heat ups.

Guardians managers Stephen Vogt joins the show to discuss his team's strong start, hsi memories of the 2021 World Series run with Atlanta, realizing his dream to manage in the major leagues and the journey it took to get there.

With the Miami Marlins facing more questions than answers to start the 2024, Craig Mish of Sports Grid and the Miami Herald joins the show to talk about the disappointing follow-up after a season of such promise a year ago.

From The Diamond airs live on 92-9 The Game in Atlanta on Sundays from 5-7 pm ET. You can also subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. Every episode of the show and more great Braves coverage is available at FromTheDiamond.com.

The Atlanta Braves put together a six-game win streak to grab the best record in MLB. They'll look to keep those winning ways going in a nine-game home stand.

Grant McAuley hits the headlines for the Braves, including a pair of injury updates for two more All-Stars. Ozzie Albies landed on the IL with a fractured toe, but could be back sooner than later. Meanwhile, you'll hear from Spencer Strider on his season-ending surgery, how his elbow injury progressed, the long road of rehab ahead, and his thoughts on the state of the game when it comes to pitching injuries.

Gaurav Vedak of Baseball Prospectus stops by to talk Braves majors and minors and share some of the new tools available at Baseball Prospectus. All of that and more on this edition of the show.

From The Diamond will air live on 92-9 The Game in Atlanta on Sundays from 5-7 pm ET. You can also subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. Every episode of the show and more great Braves coverage is available at FromTheDiamond.com.

With two weeks worth of games under their collective belts, the Atlanta Braves are sitting atop the NL East. Their biggest offensive contributor? None other that designated hitter Marcell Ozuna.

Grant McAuley covered the big stories for this week in Braves baseball, including Ozuna's red-hot start and clutch hitting down in Miami, the loss of Spencer Strider, who underwent season-ending elbow surgery, how Atlanta will approach filling the void in rotation, and what the rest of the rotation needs to do in order to stabilize the pitching staff. You'll also hear from several Braves who'll share their thoughts on Travis d'Arnaud's value to the team and impact on their winning ways.

Former Braves great Dale Murphy joins the show to tell the story of two iconic Nike posters from the 1980s -- Power Alley and Stickball. You'll hear the backstory of the creative process, the photo shoots, the tricks that made the posters an unforgettable part of Braves nostalgia, and even some abandoned plans for a baseball apparel line that would've predated today's crowded marketplace.

On our trip around the big leagues, Ben Lindbergh of The Ringer joins the show to discuss the rash of elbow injuries facing MLB and what the league can do to curtail the troubling trend.

From The Diamond will air live on 92-9 The Game in Atlanta on Sundays from 5-7 pm ET. You can also subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. Every episode of the show and more great Braves coverage is available at FromTheDiamond.com.