Joey Wentz and the Braves may have gotten relatively lucky after the left-hander was carted off the field with an apparent right leg injury during today’s game with the Rays. According to MLB.com’s Mark Bowman, Wentz will undergo tests to determine the extent of the injury, but initial examinations indicate that Wentz likely isn’t dealing with anything too serious. Wentz hurt himself while covering first base on a bunt attempt in the fifth inning, and the cart ride may have been precautionary, as he was able to get to and from the cart without assistance or any overt discomfort.
While it seems like Wentz may be okay, his situation naturally drew concern given how Atlanta’s rotation depth has already been tested this spring. Spencer Schwellenbach and Hurston Waldrep each underwent surgery in February to remove loose bodies from their elbows, leaving both starters on the injured list for at least (and in a best-case scenario) the first two months of the regular season. These injuries created an opportunity for Wentz and other depth starters to compete for the fifth spot in the Braves’ rotation, and Wentz has helped his bid with a 3.18 ERA over 5 2/3 innings of Grapefruit League action. If this leg problem ends up sidelining Wentz for any decent amount of time, it could open the door for Bryce Elder or non-roster invite Martin Perez as the fifth starter.
More from around the NL East…
- Left-hander Dax Fulton was one of five players optioned to the Marlins‘ minor league camp today, though “he’s much closer than he was to be able to come up and really help us” in the majors, manager Clayton McCullough told MLB.com’s Christina De Nicola and other reporters. McCullough implied that Fulton could be called up to pitch out of Miami’s bullpen during the regular season, though the southpaw will continue to be stretched out as a starting pitcher in Spring Training. A second-round pick for Miami in the 2020 draft, Fulton was a well-regarded prospect before a UCL surgery cost him most of the 2023 season and the entirety of the 2025 campaign. Fulton returned to action in 2025 and posted a 5.38 ERA over 103 2/3 combined innings with the Marlins’ Double-A and Triple-A affiliates, starting 22 of his 23 games. While the Marlins don’t want to close the door on Fulton’s rotation potential at age 24, allowing him to make his Major League debut as a reliever would perhaps help ease Fulton’s transition to the Show.
- Phillies top prospect Aidan Miller is still battling lower-back problems, and seems like a candidate to begin the season on the Triple-A injured list. Miller played through a similar injury at the end of the 2025 minor league season, and the back issue has kept him off the field this spring. Despite the lingering nature of Miller’s bad back and the fact that the prospect visited the Phillies’ medical staff in Philadelphia on Friday, manager Rob Thomson told The Athletic’s Charlotte Varnes and other reporters that the team isn’t too concerned about the injury, even though “we don’t have a timeline” as to when Miller might get back on the field. “I mean, he hasn’t swung a bat in two weeks. So, we just want to get him healthy, where there’s no pain, and get him back playing again,” Thomson said. A consensus pick as one of baseball’s top position-player prospects, Miller needs a bit more minor league seasoning (he played in just eight Triple-A games in 2025) but is expected to make his MLB debut at some point in 2026, with an eye towards a starting role in the Phillies’ infield by 2027.
Martin Perez is guaranteed a spot at this point. When AA specifically mentions him in interviews you know it was happening….it was a good MiLB signing I can’t even argue with.
Boxscore musings for today:
Henry Bolte 4-4 1 HR, 2 2B, 1 SB
Oswald Peraza 3-4, 1 HR, 1 2B, 2 SB
Noah Song 1.2 IP, 0H, 3K, 1BB
Song could open the season in the bullpen for Boston and Bolte could snag the CF job in Sacramento.
Nice day for Peraza, Angels.have a logjam of infield reserves with Frazier, Grissom, Madrigal and Peraza. I think they should trade Adell for some pitching and let Jose Siri rip.
peraza, teodosio, kyren, nick madrigal, jeimer candelario, even jorge soler are having good springs. plenty of choices for the bench spots, plus frazier grissom walton meckler siri. of those, candy and frazier will be able to opt out of their contracts (plus ct3 and any other negotiated opt-outs) not saying it will matter, just pointing it out as its happening
Sam Aldigheri 8K, 1H vs. Brazil yesterday, Sam Bachman 2.1IP, 5K, 2H, 0ER vs. Texas today.
Keep the Henry Bolte talk coming. He grew up down the street in Palo Alto and he looks like the real deal. He’s an amazing athlete.
I like to post some fodder. I mostly work to keep thoughts organized until the regular season starts.
There is a lot to keep track of and the boxscores exercise helps to set a marker in my memory in some sense.
Elder doing Elder things today vs Tampa Bay.
I’m glad Wentz doesn’t appear to be seriously hurt, but this does open the door more for Elder…
Ritchie please dominate throughout spring and force the Braves to go with you as the 5th starter
5 ERs? Did I see that right?…I can’t watch the games. Wth is Gray media that has the games on TV?
Yes, you saw correctly.
3.1, 6 hits, 3 walks, 2 k’s, 5 ER’s
Elder doing Elder things
Well, Braves doing Braves things would be more like it. Elder got pulled out with two runners on base and two outs. AA pitcher at best (Vines) comes in and gives up a home run, blowing up the starters ERA.
Granted, Elder was doing Elder things .. as in, he cannot get a strikeout. Ends up nibbling until he gives up a walk or a hit, with an occasional weak grounder. He just doesn’t have a solid punch out pitch at this point, and that makes it tough in today’s game.
I had been behind Elder, thinking he could figure it out and be useful. There are plenty of pitchers who didn’t start getting good until his age, and he has already had a good season and a half that many don’t. All that being said, I really don’t want to see him, or Giolito as so many are going on and on about, starting games for the Braves. Wentz at least seems to have found something and was getting better and can be helpful out of the pen. After that, I would rather see Ritchie, Fuentes, Murphy or some of the other really young arms (not the 26 year old AAA guys like Vines). See what the kids can do on the back end of the rotation.
I agree with seeing what the kids can do as well. However I’m not sure they are ready.
I think Fuentes needs some more time in AAA though to rebuild his confidence.
Murphy still needs to build up his arm strength after Tommy John. I think he is a year away, just do to innings.
If they are going with one of the kids, it has to be Ritchie.
Exactly.
Wentz was pretty effective down the stretch for them last year, and was once a pretty prominent prospect for them, so he’s definitely still got a little bit of upside. That being said, they still desperately need more SP depth.
Don’t let some of the guys on here see this comment…they’ll tell we we have too much depth lol
I am not for signing either Giolito or Little… But I didn’t say we had too much depth. I guess if one of them would sign for $3-$4 mil maybe. I’m not interested in paying Giolito $12m+ though
I personally like the idea of Ritchie as the #5. I also understand not starting his clock yet.
I’m against Elder on the roster at all. He will make around $1 mil this year so he isn’t expensive…he just isn’t good either.
Wentz was either good or bad last year too. He had 3 or 4 really good outings and then struggled.
I think it needs to be Perez or Ritchie. Maybe the Braves can find a trade partner and you never know who might get cut over the next few weeks.
Trying to explain that pov to homer is futile. I’ve made the same point as your last sentence to him several times. He’s pointing his finger at those of us who don’t agree w/his assertion that the Braves “are sitting on their hands” because they didn’t sign Giolito, Littell, Bassett, R Suarez, Cease, and every other available FA pitcher.
Does Elder making only 1 million justify giving up 5 ERs every outing?
Agreed. Love ya ‘homer, but Giolito with his elbow issues at the end of last year and possibly wanting 2/$32 or so .. is NOT the answer.
@braveshomer
No it doesn’t justify it…I don’t want Elder on the roster.
However, I personally don’t think either Giolito or Little would be drastically better than Elder. Not for the price difference.
So we all agree that Braves need to address to rotation? But, we also agree the only way to do that is by doing nothing? Am I understanding that right?!?!…man I would rather argue with my wife at this point about wall colors, at least I know I’m not getting anywhere from the beginning sheesh 😅
As a Phillies lifer, the fact Aidan Miller as the perceived third baseman of the future who everyone is counting on…having lingering or chronic back pains before he ever makes his big league debut is so par for the course.
We need the universal designed fielder to avoid scary situations like this. Our valuable arms shouldn’t have to worry about doing some random non-pitching activities.
#UniversalDF