Pillar went 2-for-4 with a solo home run, a stolen base and two total runs scored in Wednesday's 7-3 win over Atlanta.
Pillar ended a few droughts with his effort Wednesday. He hadn't homered since May 30, a span of 32 games, while his last steal came June 30. The outfielder has done little to earn more playing time -- he's hitting a meager .189 (7-for-37) in August. Overall, he's at a .230/.256/.421 slash line with seven homers, four steals, 23 RBI, 23 runs scored and eight doubles through 160 plate appearances as a short-side platoon option.
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Braves' Kevin Pillar: Gets look in two hole
Rotowire
Pillar will start in left field and bat second in Wednesday's game against the Mets.
With Atlanta facing off against a southpaw (Jose Quintana) for the second time in the series, Pillar will draw another start in left field at the expense of the lefty-hitting Rosario. After having not hit higher than seventh in the order in any of his 30 other starts this season, Pillar will move into the two hole Wednesday despite going 0-for-4 with two strikeouts while filling in for Rosario in Monday's 10-4 loss.
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Braves' Kevin Pillar: Buried on bench
Rotowire
Pillar hasn't started a game for Atlanta since June 20, seeing just six plate appearances since.
With Atlanta's starting outfield of Ronald Acuna, Michael Harris and Eddie Rosario all healthy and producing, there's been little work for the team's depth options. Pillar's slashing .252/.284/.485 through 109 PAs on the year with six homers, three steals, 16 runs and 17 RBI.
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Braves' Kevin Pillar: Lone source of offense Tuesday
Rotowire
Pillar went 2-for-3 with a solo home run and a double in Tuesday's 2-1 loss to Oakland.
Pillar's been limited to pinch-hitting duties lately as Atlanta has faced mainly right-handed pitchers. He came into Tuesday's game 0-for-9 with four strikeouts over his last eight contests, none of which he had started. He was able to do some damage against JP Sears, swatting a solo shot in the third inning and adding a double in the fifth. With Atlanta generally finding success with Eddie Rosario in the lineup versus righties, there's no obvious path to more playing time for Pillar, who sports a .292/.292/.524 slash line and six homers through 89 plate appearances this season.
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Braves' Kevin Pillar: Pops fifth homer
Rotowire
Pillar went 2-for-5 with a two-run home run in Monday's rout of the Rangers.
Facing lefty Cody Bradford in his big-league debut. Pillar kicked off a 12-0 shellacking by launching a hanging slider from the rookie into the left-field bullpen at Globe Life Field in the second inning. It was the fifth homer of the year for Pillar, with four of them coming in only 28 plate appearances in May. The veteran should continue filling the short side of a platoon in left field with Eddie Rosario, and his current form makes him in intriguing DFS option on days when he's in the lineup.
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Braves' Kevin Pillar: Swats game-winning homer
Rotowire
Pillar hit a two-run home run in his lone at-bat against Baltimore on Saturday in a 5-4 win.
Pillar began the game on the bench but was called upon to pinch hit with Atlanta down by a run in the eighth inning. The veteran came through with a two-run homer that proved to be the difference-maker in the team's victory. Pillar has reached base in eight of his past nine contests, batting .370 (10-for-27) with three long balls, seven RBI and two steals over that span.
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Braves' Kevin Pillar: Remains on bench
Rotowire
Pillar will sit for the second straight game Saturday against the Orioles.
Pillar spent part of April as a near-everyday player, but he's better suited for a fourth outfielder role at this stage of his career. His .262/.292/.410 slash line in 19 games isn't bad and comes with a two homers and two steals, but he's now on the bench for the fourth time in six games. It's likely most of his starts come against lefties going forward, with Eddie Rosario handling left field against righties.
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Braves' Kevin Pillar: Sitting Friday
Rotowire
Pillar is not in the starting lineup Friday versus the Orioles.
Pillar will take a seat after he started the last two contests of Atlanta's series with Miami, going 4-for-8 with an RBI and two runs scored. The 34-year-old has produced at least one hit in seven out of his last eight contests, batting .346 with two homers, six RBI, six runs scored and two stolen bases over that stretch. He'll give way to Eddie Rosario in left field Friday while Marcell Ozuna enters the lineup at designated hitter and bats seventh in the series opener with Baltimore.
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Braves' Kevin Pillar: Nabs steal Thursday
Rotowire
Pillar went 1-for-3 with a stolen base and an RBI in Thursday's 6-3 win over Miami.
Pillar provided a sacrifice fly in the second inning to tie the game 2-2. The outfielder also picked up his second steal of the season after a sixth-inning single. He's hit safely in seven of his last eight games, and he's up to a .262/.292/.410 slash line with two home runs, eight RBI, eight runs scored and three doubles through 65 plate appearances.
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Braves' Kevin Pillar: Sits after homering in Game 1
Rotowire
Pillar is out of the lineup for the second game of Monday's doubleheader with the Mets.
Pillar will give way in the outfield to Eddie Rosario for the second game of the twin bill after he went 1-for-2 with a two-run home run in Atlanta's 9-8 win in Game 1. The Atlanta outfield is more crowded these days following Michael Harris' recent return from the injured list, and Pillar looks like he'll have to contend with Rosario and Sam Hilliard for one of two regular spots in the lineup versus right-handed pitching. As the lone right-handed hitter of the trio, however, Pillar should at least have a clear path to playing versus southpaws.
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Braves' Kevin Pillar: Steals first bag
Rotowire
Pillar went 1-for-2 with an RBI, a run scored and a steal in Thursday's loss to the Marlins.
Pillar was productive from the bottom of the order. He singled and swiped his first base of the year before driving in the game's first run with a bases-loaded walk. The veteran outfielder could see a decent amount of playing time in Atlanta thanks to his defensive prowess, but he won't likely offer much for fantasy purposes. Pillar is now slashing .227/.277/.341 with a home run, five RBI and two runs scored.
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Braves' Kevin Pillar: On bench Wednesday
Rotowire
Pillar is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Marlins.
For the second time in the series, Pillar will cede his spot in the lineup to Marcell Ozuna, who is serving as Atlanta's designated hitter while Eddie Rosario gets a start in left field. Neither Pillar nor Ozuna have offered much production at the dish this season, but since Pillar is the superior defender, he should see the larger share of playing time between the two unless Ozuna starts to heat up with the bat.
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Braves' Kevin Pillar: Sitting out series opener
Rotowire
Pillar is out of the lineup for Monday's game against the Marlins.
Pillar had started in each of the past six games and on each of the past three occasions that Atlanta has faced right-handed pitchers, but he'll give way to Eddie Rosario in left field while Marcell Ozuna re-enters the lineup at designated hitter against Marlins righty Edward Cabrera. Though he's mustered a .566 OPS this season, Pillar has nonetheless performed significantly better than Ozuna (.406 OPS) thus far, so the former still appears to have a pathway to regular playing time, at least until Travis d'Arnaud (concussion) or Michael Harris (back) return from the injured list.
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Braves' Kevin Pillar: Pops first homer in 2023
Rotowire
Pillar went 1-for-3 with a solo home run in Sunday's loss to the Astros.
He took Cristian Javier deep in the fifth inning to open the scoring on the afternoon, giving Pillar his first homer in an Atlanta jersey. The veteran outfielder has started six straight games in left field, three against left-handed starters and three against righties, and while he's batting just .211 (8-for-38) to begin the season, neither Eddie Rosario nor Marcell Ozuna are doing much at the plate either -- handing Pillar the starting role for now due to his defense.
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Braves' Kevin Pillar: Starting in left field Thursday
Rotowire
Pillar is starting in left field and batting eighth Thursday against the Padres.
Pillar gets the nod over Eddie Rosario and Marcell Ozuna with left-hander Blake Snell on the mound for San Diego. Atlanta's left-field job appears to have formed into a platoon here in the early going.
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Braves' Kevin Pillar: Contract selected
Rotowire
Pillar had his contract selected by Atlanta on Thursday.
The 34-year-old signed as a non-roster invitee in January but was able to earn a spot on Atlanta's Opening Day roster. Pillar is unlikely to see regular playing time with Eddie Rosario, Michael Harris and Ronald Acuna entrenched as the starting outfielders, but his strong defense makes him a quality option for a fourth outfielder.
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Braves' Kevin Pillar: Might be in lead for bench spot
Rotowire
Pillar could be the favorite to win the fourth outfielder spot on Atlanta's bench, David O'Brien of The Athletic reports.
The 34-year-old barely saw any action in the majors last season while in the Dodgers organization, but Pillar signed a minor-league deal with Atlanta this winter in the hopes of securing a more consistent spot, and he appears to have chosen wisely. His main competition for the job, Sam Hilliard, is a left-handed hitter as are projected starters Michael Harris and Eddie Rosario, so Pillar would provide a platoon option against tough southpaws in addition to his experience and ability to play all three outfield spots.
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Braves' Kevin Pillar: Signs on with Atlanta
Rotowire
Pillar (shoulder) agreed Wednesday with the Braves on a minor-league deal that includes an invitation to spring training, Steve Adams of MLB Trade Rumors reports.
Pillar can earn $3 million if he makes the team out of spring training. The 34-year-old was only able to play four games in 2022 after undergoing left-shoulder surgery in June, and he produced a slash line of .231/.277/.415 with the Mets in 2021 over 124 contests. Pillar will contend for a bench spot with Atlanta in Grapefruit League play, but he's unlikely to be a significant fantasy contributor for the 2023 campaign.
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Dodgers' Kevin Pillar: Available for postseason
Rotowire
Pillar (shoulder) took live batting practice Wednesday and is available if needed for the postseason, per MLB.com.
When Pillar underwent left shoulder surgery in early June, it was presumed that his season was over. However, the veteran outfielder has worked his way back to full health and played in six minor-league rehab games at the end of September, going 7-for-22 with a home run and six RBI. He'll be able to play in the postseason if called upon, though the Dodgers are unlikely to require his services unless injuries create a need.
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Dodgers' Kevin Pillar: Begins rehab stint
Rotowire
Pillar (shoulder) began a minor-league rehab assignment with Triple-A Oklahoma City on Wednesday, per MLB.com.
Pillar fractured his left shoulder in June and was originally expected to miss the remainder of the season, but he's recovered more quickly than expected and is now playing with the Dodgers' Triple-A club. Through two games with OKC, he's gone 1-for-8 with a run and two RBI. There may not be a roster spot available for Pillar on the big-league club, so he'll work to be ready in case an injury creates a need over the final days of the regular season or in the playoffs.
