Atlanta Braves fans have been waiting for this moment for almost an entire year. Ronald Acuña Jr. is back, and in the Braves’ starting lineup for Friday’s series opener at Truist Park against the San Diego Padres. Excitement is in the air, but the mood isn’t quite as happy as it should be after taking a look at the lineup Brian Snitker put together for this game.

Acuña is right where he should be at the top of the order. It’s tough to argue against having stars like Austin Riley, Matt Olson, and Marcell Ozuna hitting behind him, even if the order of this trio probably should be tinkered with a bit. Where the issue in this lineup really lies, though, is in the No. 5 spot.

Alex Verdugo, for reasons that really only Snitker can explain, is hitting fifth and playing left field, while Eli White is on the bench. That’s a head-scratcher.

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Braves lineup takes away some of the Ronald Acuña Jr. excitement

Getting Acuña back is a huge deal and extremely exciting for not only Braves fans but baseball fans, who have been robbed of being able to watch one of the most talented players on the planet. Braves fans hope he can help jumpstart this offense that has needed a spark, honestly, since he came down with his injury.

While there’s a lot for Braves fans to look forward to, it’s hard for them to get too excited knowing that, in all likelihood, Verdugo is going to play a big role in this game.

Verdugo, to his credit, was able to provide a spark for the Braves when he made his debut with the team. In the month of May, though, he’s slashed .194/.260/.239 with only three extra-base hits (all doubles) in 73 plate appearances. Overall, he has a .638 OPS in 28 games and has not hit a single home run. What makes his struggles even more infuriating is that he has been leading off almost exclusively.

Snitker, to his credit, gave Acuña the top spot in the order, but why is Verdugo, a player who has struggled for almost a full month and has shown little to no power this season, hitting in the heart of the lineup? Even more alarmingly, where is Eli White?

White, seemingly out of nowhere, has been one of the Braves’ best hitters this season, slashing .274/.320/.436 with three home runs and 13 RBI. Admittedly, his May hasn’t been great either, but it’s been better than Verdugo’s, and he also offers more in the field and on the base paths.

Snitker has a tendency to stick with his guys for far too long. White deserves to be an everyday outfielder even with Acuña back, and playing Verdugo over him, while also inexplicably hitting Verdugo fifth in the order, is really tough to justify. Honestly, Verdugo should be off this roster before he hits fifth in a game.