Alex Anthopoulos is facing quite an uphill battle after refusing to upgrade the Braves’ starting rotation at the trade deadline.
The Atlanta Braves have been plagued by injuries this season, facing challenges as severe as any other team in the league. Although they may not have the highest number of injured players, they have lost both their top pitcher, Spencer Strider, and their top position player, Ronald Acuña Jr., to significant surgeries—Strider for a torn UCL and Acuña for a torn ACL.
This has created significant gaps in their roster, impacting their ability to compete. Despite Strider’s injury, Bryce Elder’s poor performance, and the overall inexperience of their pitching depth, Braves GM Alex Anthopoulos chose not to acquire a new starter before the trade deadline.
This decision has raised concerns among Braves fans, especially after reliever-turned-starter Reynaldo Lopez suffered forearm inflammation and tightness. Lopez will likely need ongoing monitoring for the remainder of the season. Additionally, one of the team’s young starters will now also have their workload closely watched.
For updates and rumors, check out MLB Insider Robert Murray’s coverage on The Baseball Insiders podcast and join the discord for insider information through the MLB offseason.
Braves to push Schwellenbach start back to manage his workload
The Braves are pushing back rookie Spencer Schwellenbach’s start to manage his workload, as reported by beat writer Justin Toscano. Schwellenbach has already pitched 40 more innings than last year, and the team wants to avoid overworking him.
This leaves Chris Sale and Max Fried as the primary starters for the Braves, with Lopez also dealing with injuries. Schwellenbach’s innings will be closely monitored moving forward. Charlie Morton remains a steady performer for Atlanta despite a few recent struggles.
Following that, the rotation includes Bryce Elder, who has struggled significantly, along with a group of promising young pitchers like Hurston Waldrep and AJ Smith-Shawver.
While hindsight is always perfect, it was clear in the weeks leading up to the trade deadline that the Braves needed to add a starter. This need is even more apparent now.
The Braves might suffer in the latter part of the season due to the hesitation of GM Alex Anthopoulos. It’s likely that AJ Smith-Shawver, the team’s top prospect, will be called up to the major leagues soon. Atlanta cannot afford to keep relying on Elder, especially if Lopez remains sidelined and Schwellenbach’s workload is restricted.
