ATLANTA — The pearls are back.
The Atlanta Braves announced their lineup for Game 4 of the World Series on Saturday afternoon, and the big news is that Joc Pederson returns to the middle of the order after he was left out of the Game 3 lineup.
Pederson's pearl necklace has become the iconic accessory of Atlanta's playoff run - with fans in droves adopting the look.
Jorge Soler had started in right field on Friday night for Game 3 over Pederson, but the left-handed fan favorite who's inspired the term "JOCtober" will be back for Game 4.
Pederson, who was one of Atlanta's best players in the NLDS against Milwaukee and NLCS against the Dodgers, struggled through the first two games of the World Series in Houston, going 1-for-8 with three strikeouts.
But, as The Athletic's David O'Brien notes, Pederson has a strong history against Astros starter Zack Greinke: He's 9-for-30 in his career against the right-hander, with four doubles, a triple and two home runs.
Ahead of the playoffs, Pederson admitted in an essay he wrote for The Players' Tribune that when he originally got traded to Atlanta, he was disappointed. He'd been with the Cubs at the time, enjoyed it there and had already moved once this year when he signed with Chicago before the season.
Now, he's thankful to be part of a team he said has a special sort of confidence.
"If there’s one thing that I think I’ve been able to bring to this team, beyond just my bat and my glove, I’d say it’s that energy — and that belief: That nothing is as dangerous in baseball as a team with a ton of confidence," Pederson wrote.
The rest of the Braves lineup mostly stays consistent, though catcher Travis D'Arnaud leapfrogs center fielder Adam Duvall into the sixth spot in the lineup, after he knocked a double and a home run in the Game 3 win.
One thing to keep in mind, with pitcher Dylan Lee in the nine-hole, is that with the Braves planning on a "bullpen game" for Saturday, manager Brian Snitker could use that spot to pinch hit for Lee if he comes up in the second or third inning.
First pitch is scheduled for 8:09 p.m.