I’m honestly shocked by how the 2025 Atlanta Braves are starting to play close to their high expectations lately! After digging themselves into an 0-7 hole, much like the dog I’m currently watching who loves to get stuck in her tiny backyard, Atlanta has gone 10-7 in their last 17 games, getting back into striking distance of .500 at 10-14. I might just get the chance to see them live soon.
While I’ll be in Phoenix at the same time as the Braves, I’ll have the privilege of watching Grant Holmes take the mound against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Saturday night. Holmes has earned a spot in the Braves’ depleted rotation, and although Chris Sale needs to improve, both he and Spencer Schwellenbach have shown they can be trusted over the past year.
But what about the two spots left open due to injuries to Spencer Strider and Reynaldo Lopez? Fans have been wondering why Bryce Elder keeps getting chances over AJ Smith-Shawver. According to MLB.com’s Mark Bowman, the debate may be irrelevant since Sale, Holmes, and Schwellenbach will pitch in Phoenix, while Elder and Smith-Shawver will pitch in a different game against the Colorado Rockies early next week.
If neither performs well against the Rockies, who are one of the worst teams in baseball, they shouldn’t start for the Braves again. If you can’t do well against the worst team in MLB, then you’re essentially a Quad-A pitcher. The Braves’ back-end rotation problem is already a concern.
Despite Sale’s early struggles, we know his potential when everything clicks. I’ve really enjoyed watching Schwellenbach develop as a pitcher, and Holmes’ drive to compete at this stage of his career is admirable. It’s unfortunate that Strider and Lopez are injured because if they were healthy, we wouldn’t have to deal with the ongoing Elder and Smith-Shawver issue. Elder had one strong half-season once, but his low-90s fastball isn’t enough, and Smith-Shawver’s struggles make me wonder if he’s the next Sean Newcomb. If either pitcher struggles against Colorado, I doubt they’ll have a spot even with the Albuquerque Isotopes.
