Lane Thomas has great chance to repeat previous Guardians postseason exploits with Braves IL activation 

In October 2024, Lane Thomas swung his way into Cleveland Guardians history with his incredible grand slam against Tarik Skubal and the TIgers in the ALDS. 

Although that ended up being the high point of his time with the Guardians, he has a golden opportunity to record another signature postseason moment this year with the Braves, who officially added him to their NLDS roster on Saturday ahead of their series against the Dodgers. 

Lane Thomas is back in the postseason with the Atlanta Braves

It may seem hard to believe given how dominant Thomas looked in 2024, but he only played in 44 more games with the Guardians after his swing against Skubal due to plantar fasciitis that robbed him of his power and speed. 

The Guardians let him go last offseason and he signed a contract with the Royals before getting traded to the Braves at the deadline. 

He played in 21 games with the Braves after the deadline, but has been on the injured list for the past month due to a left intercostal strain that also kept him out for the Braves’ Wild Card Series matchup against the Phillies. 

But he’s back now, and should be a factor for an Atlanta team that will have its work cut out for them against the Dodgers. 

Part of what made Thomas's homer against the Tigers so legacy-defining is that it came against Tarik Skubal. It would have been a big deal regardless since it gave the Guardians the lead in a winner-take-all game, but the fact it came against the American League Cy Young winner made it even more sweet. 

And guess who Skubal pitches for now? That’s right, the Dodgers.  

Thomas may not be in the Braves’ lineup today against Skubal, but he should make some kind of appearance as a pinch-hitter, whether it be against Skubal or the Dodgers’ bullpen.

The Dodgers have three left-handed relievers in their bullpen (Tanner Scott ,Alex Vesia and Kris Bubic) along with having the left-handed Skubal and Blake Snell in their bullpen. 

That kind of part-time role limited Thomas’ ability to live up to the billing that came with the Guardians trading for him at the 2024 deadline, but there’s less pressure on him in Atlanta since the Braves gave up two unheralded prospects for him at the deadline as opposed to the treasure trove of prospects the Guardians gave up. 

Thomas’ addition to the roster came along with the additions of pitchers AJ Smith-Shawver and JR Ritchie, who also missed Atlanta’s Wild Card Series against the Phillies. 

That trio is taking the spots of Dominic Smith, DaShawn Keirsey Jr., and Luke Williams, meaning there’s even more pressure on Thomas since he’s the lone offensive replacement for the subtraction of three hitters. 

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