Drake Baldwin News: Taking seat for early game

Baldwin is out of the lineup for the first game of Thursday's doubleheader versus the Phillies.

With a .337 batting average and .912 OPS in 105 plate appearances on the season, Baldwin has emerged as Atlanta's preferred option behind the plate, despite the fact that Sean Murphy is in the third year of a six-year, $73 million extension and has performed well in his own right (.783 OPS) through the first two months of the campaign. Atlanta manager Brian Snitker seems to have settled on a platoon between the two backstops, so the left-handed-hitting Baldwin will give way to the right-handed-hitting Murphy behind the plate while southpaw Cristopher Sanchez takes the hill for the Phillies in Game 1. Baldwin will re-enter the lineup for the nightcap to face off against right-hander Zack Wheeler.