The Braves schedule is now set for the start of the National League Division Series, and the Dodgers know exactly what is coming next: Atlanta at Dodger Stadium on Saturday at 1 p.m. PDT. The best-of-five opener arrives after the Braves advanced with a 6-2 win over the Philadelphia Phillies, turning Thursday’s quiet build-up in Los Angeles into immediate playoff business.
On Thursday, the Dodgers practiced beneath a scoreboard showing the deciding game between the Philadelphia Phillies and Atlanta Braves, while fresh 2026 Postseason decals were already painted up the baselines at Dodger Stadium. By the time the field had cleared, the picture had changed. About a half hour later, Atlanta had finished the job and booked the meeting with Los Angeles.
‘We are the team to beat’
Kiké Hernández summed up the mood inside the Dodgers’ camp with a familiar kind of confidence. “We are the team to beat,” he said. “We are the team that you have to go through.”
That is the right kind of message for a club that has spent its bye week doing more than waiting around. The Dodgers used the break for watch parties, batting practice, live pitching and an open workout, with the aim of keeping rhythm while still recovering. This is their fourth postseason with a bye in this format, and the balance between rest and readiness is clearly part of the plan.
Rest, recovery and readiness
Max Muncy made the point that usually sits at the heart of these breaks. “Obviously it’s there, but it’s not something we’re really focused on,” he said of the opponent. “We’re trying to focus on ourselves getting ready this week, paying attention to whoever we might be playing and just trying to get ready for a postseason series the same way we’ve always gotten ready for it.”
He also captured the risk of too much time away from game speed. “You’ve earned the bye and you should take that time to rest and recover,” Muncy said, “But you don’t want to give guys too much time to be at home and get that taste of what it might be like.”
That is why the Dodgers have leaned into team activity during the break. Dave Roberts said the aim was to build togetherness rather than let the days drift. “Instead of showing up, checking a box to work out, then eject, I think that sacrifice from friends, family, it’s important,” he said. “We’re at the home stretch. We’re in the playoffs, and so I think that the more guys spend time with one another, it just lends itself to just more togetherness.”
What the Braves schedule means next
The immediate answer is simple: the Braves schedule now becomes the Dodgers’ problem, and the opener sets the tone for the entire series. With the first pitch at 1 p.m. PDT on Saturday, Los Angeles will not need much time to discover whether its bye-week routine has kept the edge sharp enough for October.
It is a familiar playoff story. One team waits, one team arrives hot, and the series begins with all the usual tension that comes with a best-of-five format. The Dodgers may feel they are the team to beat, but they will still need to prove it on the field.
