Avila is out of the lineup Sunday against the Braves.

EDGE Analysis

It's no surprise that Avila is sitting out with a lefty (Max Fried) starting for the opposition, but the catcher has been losing out on starts of late against right-handed pitching too, as he went unused against Braves righty Lucas Sims a day earlier. Avila is reaching base at an excellent .370 clip since being acquired by the Cubs prior to the trade deadline, but August waiver pickup Rene Rivera has been even better, slashing .350/.435/.550 since joining the team. Until Willson Contreras (hamstring) returns from the disabled list, it appears Rivera may handle the bulk of the catching duties, at least while he sports a hot bat.