The Atlanta Braves are gearing up for another postseason push. With their magic number at this point being two, Atlanta is very likely heading to the postseason. With that in mind, the team is making sure that their best weapon for the playoffs is ready.

Heading into the final stretch of the regular season, the Braves made a significant change to their starting rotation. Flamethrower Chris Sale was initially slated to start in one of the games against the Houston Astros. However, the Atlanta coaching staff has decided to move back Sale's start to the Reds series. The three starters for Atlanta against Houston will be Tyler Mahle, Grant Holmes, and Martin Perez, in that order, per Jesus Cano.

While this move might spark concern about a potential Sale injury, Cano reported that that wasn't the case. Instead, Atlanta is just giving their ace more time to rest ahead of the postseason. Sale's last appearance on the mound was on September 11 against the Philadelphia Phillies. The veteran lefty recorded seven innings of three-run ball, allowing three hits, walking two batters, and striking out six. The Braves won that game 6-5, but Sale was awarded a no-contest for his efforts.

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This move by Atlanta will give Sale around nine days of rest before his next start against the Reds. This should give the Braves star a lot of time to recover while still being warm enough for the first game of their Wild Card series. Sale has been far and away the team's best player: his ERA this season is a monstrous 2.19, striking out 190 batters in the process. Batters are hitting a paltry .216 against him this year.

The Braves' magic number to enter the postseason is two, meaning that a combination of two wins or two losses from the other Wild Card competitors will give them a playoff spot. As for the division title, their magic number remains at five after their loss to the Chicago Cubs last night and the Phillies' win over the Washington Nationals.