Atlanta Braves first baseman Matt Olson played his 798th consecutive Major League Baseball game Sunday night against the Cleveland Guardians, tying Nellie Fox for the 11th-longest streak in history. The milestone highlights Olson's durability since returning from an eye injury in 2021. After Monday's game versus the Marlins, he will stand 23 games from the top 10.
Matt Olson suited up for the Atlanta Braves' home game against the Cleveland Guardians on Sunday night, extending his MLB-leading consecutive games streak to 798. This performance tied him with Nellie Fox for 11th place on baseball's all-time list of longest streaks. Olson has started all but one game during the run, entering as a late defensive replacement on September 24, 2022, after a benching during a late-season slump. The Braves won that contest 6-3 over the Phillies before Olson took the field in the final two innings at first base. The streak began after Olson missed a game on April 29, 2021, due to a batting cage mishap at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg. “I was hitting in the batting cage and the L-screen in St. Petersburg didn’t have padding,” Olson said. “I hit one off the screen and it came back and popped me in the eye, and I couldn’t open it for a few days. I had to see eye doctors and have scans of my eyes and everything. It was probably a half-inch away from being a real big deal.” Braves manager Walt Weiss praised Olson's reliability. “He shows up every day ready to go,” Weiss said. “But typically, there's always something, you know, a nick here or there that keeps you out, or even getting sick for a day. ... This guy's played through it all and continues to do so.” Projections place Olson to surpass Eddie Yost's 829 games before May's end for ninth place, and Stan Musial's 895 in August for eighth. If he maintains the streak through a fifth straight full season, it could reach 944 games by year's end. Olson holds the longest active streak; the next belongs to the Orioles’ Pete Alonso at 431 games. “The thought never really crossed my mind,” Olson said. “You know I've always said I just want to play.”
