On Tuesday, July 21, the Gwinnett Stripers, the Triple-A affiliate of the Atlanta Braves, played against the Iowa Cubs at their home ballpark, Gwinnett Field.
The Stripers’ lineup for the game was filled with lots of familiar Major League Baseball (MLB) names.
Ronald Acuña Jr. leads off for the Stripers, and Ha-Seong Kim is on a rehab assignment
Atlanta Braves star Ronald Acuña Jr. was at the top of Gwinnett’s July 21 lineup against Iowa. He is currently playing for the Stripers on a rehab assignment. Acuña has not played in an MLB game since June 9 due to a strained left hamstring.
In the Gwinnett game against the Iowa Cubs, Acuña went 1-for-4 and scored a run. In 53 MLB games this season with the Braves, he has a .251 batting average with 10 doubles, seven home runs, and 22 RBIs. Acuña has also stolen 15 bases this season for Atlanta.
Ha-Seong Kim played shortstop for the Stripers on July 21. Like Acuña, he also recorded a hit and scored a run in his rehab assignment outing in Gwinnett.
Kim last appeared for the Braves on June 30. He struggled in June with Atlanta, going 1-for-28 at the plate. The South Korean player is rehabbing from finger inflammation.
In 2026 with the Braves, Kim has a .068 batting average with just five hits this season.
Former MVP Andrew McCutchen in the Gwinnett lineup
A notable player in the Stripers’ lineup on July 21 was Andrew McCutchen. The 39-year-old former National League Most Valuable Player award winner signed a Minor League contract with the Braves on July 2. He started the 2026 MLB season playing for the Texas Rangers. However, he was released from the team on May 28.
After spending some time in the Florida Complex League, McCutchen was assigned to the Stripers in Triple-A. During the July 21 game Gwinnett had against the Iowa Cubs, McCutchen went hitless in three at-bats.
The veteran outfielder is not only a former MVP, but also a five-time All-Star. His career MLB batting average is .271 in 8,423 total at-bats. McCutchen also has 333 home runs and 1,157 RBIs in his 18 seasons of playing in the MLB.
Carlos Santana and Rowdy Tellez in the crazy Stripers Lineup
Another former Pirates player in the July 21 Stripers lineup was Carlos Santana. Like McCutchen, Santana was signed to a Minor League contract by the Braves on June 28. He started the 2026 season playing for the Arizona Diamondbacks, but was released from the team on June 26.
During the July 21 game, Santana went 1-for-4. He brought home Gwinnett’s first run of the game on a ground out that scored Acuña.
In 17 seasons of playing in the MLB, Santana has a .240 batting average with 335 career home runs and 1,136 RBIs. His best season was in 2019 with the Cleveland Indians. He had a .281 batting average with a .911 OPS. Santana was an All-Star that season, as he also had 34 home runs, 93 RBIs, and a .397 on-base percentage.
Rowdy Tellez was also a part of the Gwinnett lineup on July 21 against Iowa. He had two hits in that game, and one of them was a solo home run in the fifth inning.
Tellez has 10 at-bats for the Braves this season with two hits. All of those at-bats and hits with Atlanta in 2026 have come in June. With Gwinnett, Tellez has a .263 batting average in 2026. He also has 15 doubles and 12 home runs at the Triple-A level this season.
Tellez has played nine seasons in the MLB. In those nine seasons, he has a .234 batting average with 123 home runs and 372 RBIs.
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PHOTO: Atlanta Braves’ Ronald Acuna Jr. advances from first to third base on a single by Mauricio Dubon during the first inning of a baseball game against the Pittsburgh Pirates, Saturday, June 6, 2026, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Erik S. Lesser)
