NL East Opening Day Series Previews

Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports

Atlanta Braves at Milwaukee Brewers

The Atlanta Braves have an assortment of pitching injuries, which will probably leave youngster Julio Teheran as the team’s Opening Day starter.  Kris Medlen, Brandon Beachy, and Mike Minor are all injured and do not have set return dates.  Teheran just signed a lucrative contract extension in the off-season, so he will start earning his new salary from day one.

Atlanta’s roster is poised to repeat as division champs in 2014, although Freddie Freeman’s injury remains to be diagnosed.  He is a big piece to the puzzle that the Braves could ill afford to lose before they even start playing for real.

The Brewers will be throwing Yovani Gallardo on the mound to start the season.  After going 12-10 a year ago, he now has the likes of Ryan Braun back in the lineup to help cause some damage to opposing pitchers.  Carlos Gomez will look to have the same success he did against Atlanta last year minus the circus that followed.  Gomez was in an altercation at home plate with then-Braves catcher Brian McCann after Gomez showboated after hitting a home run.

McCann is now in New York, but Evan Gattis is just as intimidating.  His role as everyday catcher will start on the road and who knows who he will be catching during the opening weekend.