Ronald Acuna Jr.

Jurickson Profar's 80-game PED suspension is a tough development for the Braves from a roster construction perspective, but it's a significant break for fantasy managers as it bumps Harris into the leadoff spot at least until Ronald Acuna Jr. is ready to make his season debut at some point in early May. Atlanta has resisted thrusting the 24-year-old franchise cornerstone into the leadoff role, even though his skills seem to be a perfect match. The move should lead to an uptick in runs scored for at least a couple weeks.

Nothing has changed regarding Acuna's potential return timeline as the expectation remains that he'll be ready to make his season debut at some point in late April or early May, barring any setbacks. The 27-year-old fantasy superstar didn't play in any Grapefruit League contests this spring and will need several weeks of game action to get back up to speed before returning to Atlanta's lineup.

Signing Alex Verdugo certainly doesn't mean the Braves are giving up on Kelenic, but it does give them some insurance in case they choose to do so at a later date. Kelenic hit just .231/.286/.393 in his first season in Atlanta, and he's come in at .190/.261/.405 this spring. He'll open up as the right fielder against right-handers, but he does have options left if the Braves want to send him down after Ronald Acuna Jr. returns.

It was Profar's first game action since he injured his wrist on March 8. He hit leadoff today, and it appears likely that he'll fill that role for the Braves until Ronald Acuna Jr. is ready to return from a torn ACL. At that point, manager Brian Snitker could move everyone down a spot or simply drop Profar into bottom half of the order.

Spencer Strider will start for the Braves in Monday’s Spring Training game with the Red Sox, in a significant step in Strider’s recovery from an internal brace procedure. MLB.com’s Mark Bowman (multiple links) figures Strider will pitch in at least five games over the rest of spring camp and during a minor league rehab assignment…