Game 5 lineups: Nats at Braves

ATLANTA – Hello from Truist Park here in unincorporated Cobb County, home of the 2021 World Series champions. The Nationals have arrived for their first road trip of the season, with three games coming up against the Braves before they head to Pittsburgh for four games this weekend.

They’ll open this series with Josh Rogers on the mound, not Aníbal Sánchez. Sánchez was officially placed on the 10-day injured list today with a cervical nerve impingement in his neck. We’ll find out shortly how severe that is and how long he might be out. Rogers, meanwhile, makes his season debut after getting optioned to Triple-A Rochester on the final day of spring training but never actually pitching for the Red Wings. It’s a tough assignment for the lefty, who is facing a very good Braves lineup.

The Nationals lineup includes Lane Thomas in center field for the first time this season, with Victor Robles on the bench for the second time in five games. Yadiel Hernandez, who has made solid contact and sparked Sunday’s game-winning rally with a leadoff single in the bottom of the eighth, gets the start in left field.

All of those guys will be going up against Atlanta No. 5 starter Huascar Ynoa, who you may best remember as one of the two opposing pitchers to hit a grand slam off the Nats last year. Good times.

WASHINGTON NATIONALS at ATLANTA BRAVES
Where: Truist Park
Gametime: 7:20 p.m. EDT
TV: MASN2, MLB.tv
Radio: 106.7 The Fan, MLB.com
Weather: Cloudy, 66 degrees, wind 8 mph in from right field

NATIONALS
2B César Hernández
RF Juan Soto
DH Nelson Cruz
1B Josh Bell
C Keibert Ruiz
LF Yadiel Hernandez
CF Lane Thomas
3B Maikel Franco
SS Alcides Escobar

LHP Josh Rogers

BRAVES
2B Ozzie Albies
1B Matt Olson
3B Austin Riley
LF Marcell Ozuna
CF Adam Duvall
RF Eddie Rosario
SS Dansby Swanson
C Manny Piña
DH Orlando Arcia

RHP Huascar Ynoa