Braves prospect Didier Fuentes was a healthy scratch from a scheduled start yesterday and could be an option to join the big league pitching staff in the near future. As Chad Bishop of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution breaks down, Fuentes’ scratch doesn’t necessarily guarantee a recall to the majors, but the Braves are light on options to summon as they embark on a sequence of 10 games in 10 days. Each of Hayden Harris, Dylan Dodd and Rolddy Muñoz was optioned late last week, meaning they can’t be recalled for 15 days (from the date of their option) unless they’re directly replacing an injured player on the roster. Skipping Fuentes’ start yesterday also helps to manage the promising 20-year-old’s workload after he only pitched 70 total innings (majors and minors combined) in 2025.
Fuentes has been terrific so far in Gwinnett this season. He’s taken the ball three times, tossed a total of 16 2/3 innings and held opponents to four runs (2.16 ERA) on eight hits and six walks with 20 strikeouts. He’s also plunked three batters and tossed a wild pitch, so his command hasn’t exactly been pristine, but the results and bat-missing capabilities are impressive.
Throughout spring training, there were calls from Atlanta fans to plug Fuentes into the rotation — understandably so. To this point in the season, however, there are five Braves pitchers who’ve started multiple games — Chris Sale, Reynaldo López, Grant Holmes, Martín Pérez, Bryce Elder — and none has an ERA higher than 3.42 (Holmes). Despite all the injuries, Atlanta starters remarkably lead the majors with a 2.65 ERA. Metrics like FIP (4.02) and SIERA (4.05) are far more bearish, but it’d be hard for Braves brass to tell any of the current starters he’s losing his place in the rotation. Atlanta already briefly jettisoned Pérez, but he quickly re-signed on a new deal and responded by tossing six shutout innings in Philadelphia on Friday.
None of that includes righty Spencer Strider, who’s working his way back from an oblique injury and could return early next month. The Braves will need to figure out a way to plug Strider back into the rotation whenever he’s cleared to return. Elder looked to be very much on the roster bubble in spring training, but he’s allowed only two earned runs through his first 23 1/3 innings. Pérez, as previously mentioned, just fired six shutout innings on the road against a top division rival. He now has a 2.21 ERA on the year. Perhaps another injury will make the decision easier, but if everyone’s healthy, it’s fair to say that “too many effective starters” isn’t a problem many foresaw Atlanta encountering a few weeks back (though it’s a “problem” they’ll surely welcome with open arms).
On the position-player side of the roster, the Braves will have some decisions looming regarding seldom-used veterans currently holding down bench spots. Catcher Sean Murphy is on a rehab assignment. Shortstop Ha-Seong Kim is headed for a simulated game Thursday, manager Walt Weiss told the Atlanta beat (via MLB.com’s Mark Bowman). He could begin a rehab assignment next week himself.
The return of Murphy, on paper, would seem to be bad news for veteran backstop Jonah Heim, who’s 5-for-23 in limited action as the No. 2 catcher behind reigning National League Rookie of the Year Drake Baldwin. As Bowman points out, however, infielder Kyle Farmer has only received seven plate appearances all season. The organization loves his presence in the clubhouse, but he’s even more seldom-used than Heim. Keeping Heim over Farmer could allow the Braves to more comfortably use both Baldwin and Murphy in the same lineup, splitting time at catcher and DH, with Heim on hand as an emergency option.
Of course, when Kim returns — likely in mid-May — both Heim and Farmer could be squeezed out. No one on the Braves’ bench can be optioned, so two of Farmer, Heim, Jorge Mateo and Eli White are likely to find themselves displaced, barring other injuries that allow the team to kick those decisions down the road a bit.
Mateo has hit quite well, albeit in a tiny sample of 20 plate appearances. His prior track record doesn’t create much optimism about him sustaining this pace, but he’s still an elite runner with 98th-percentile sprint speed (per Statcast) and some defensive versatility. White has been the team’s worst hitter … in a similarly tiny sample of 22 plate appearances. He’s a terrific outfield defender, however, and Statcast measures his sprint speed even better than Mateo, placing him at the very top of the MLB scale with 30.4 feet per second (100th percentile).
Braves bullpen has been real good too.
Best in Baseball. Air tight relievers.
Incredibly impressed with the performance of the Braves so far this year, given the injuries and all.
No one has done more with less this season than the Braves. It helps that the Mets and Phillies can’t get out of their own way though
It is crazy to think how good this team could be and how deep their staff would be with Strider, Schwellenbach, AJSS, and Hurston Waldrep all healthy. Clearly, there wouldn’t be enough spots for all of these guys, but a 6 man rotation wouldn’t be the worst idea.
Then, they also have JR Ritchie and Didder Fuentes ready and pitching phenomenally in AAA. Excellent problems to have, let’s just hope they can stay the course and their bats can keep up scoring runs.
Schwellenbach and Strider would have to take two of the spots in the rotation, M.Perez and Grant Holmes would likely either get released, traded, or Holmes would probably just be moved to the bullpen and maybe Perez in a long relief role.
If they did go to a six man rotation they would have to give it to either AJSS or Waldrep, and I believe either could also function in a relief role very well with their A+ stuff, and especially with Waldrep’s nasty splitter.
Sale, R.Lopez, Schwellenbach, Strider, Elder, and AJSS would probably be my choices, and they do have basically two revolving doors right now in the pen, so they could most definitely fit two of Waldrep, Holmes, and Perez pretty easily.
Which, that would just make their pen even nastier coupled with Dylan Lee, Raisel Iglesias, Robert Suarez, Tyler Kinley, and Aaron Bummer. Jose Suarez, Ian Hamilton, and Joel Payamps would have to get the boot for the longer relief options and then Waldrep.
If healthy, the Braves could have the deepest and most dynamic staff in baseball. Heck, I bet even Fuentes in a short relief role could get his FB up to 98-100 consistently and with that Wipeout slider, he would be filthy as well.
It might not be the worst idea for Waldrep, Fuentes, and even AJSS to put them in the bullpen to limit their innings.
It will definitely be fun to see how Weiss and AA are able to manage these guys, and to see who ultimately is able to succeed and thrive in the roles they are given.
Heck, it isn’t even a sure thing that Strider is going to be able to come back healthy and be his old self. He has struggled with consistency, and has struggled getting his velo back ever since he has come back, so only time will tell. Either way, I am definitely intrigued to watch how everything unfolds.
The Braves are absolutely stacked with quality arms!! And we haven’t even mentioned Sears, Murphy, Braun, or Caminiti who all are very talented arms, and could be more than ready by some time next season among some other notable arms for the pen like Burkhalter and Joseph as well…
Of the four starters the Braves were counting on who got hurt this spring, three should be back in 2026. Strider sounds like he’s about 17 days away, and the other two, Schwell and Waldrep, look more like 45 to 60 days out. AJSS and Wentz should be back by 2027 too.
If this current chicken-wire-and-duct-tape rotation can somehow hold together until then, it would be an incredible and honestly surprising gift. As those starters come back, three of the current rotation arms could slide into the bullpen, which would strengthen that group too.
Fuentes and JR Ritchie keep building and look MLB-ready if the Braves need them in a pinch. By the 2027, Atlanta could realistically have 11 or 12 MLB-ready starters under contract. AJSS and Wentz should be back, and Braun, Murphy, Baumann, and others could be close as well.
There’s also a pretty long list of bullpen arms on the way. If the Braves can just hold on until Strider returns, Perez could move to the pen as a long man. Then if Holmes and Lopez join the bullpen when Schwell and Waldrep get back, that staff gets even stronger.
Maybe the idea that the Braves absolutely had to add one, two, or even three more starting pitchers last offseason was overstated. Yes, they’ve gotten a little lucky, and the numbers suggest these starters have been dancing between the raindrops. But if Strider is back in about 17 days, Waldrep in around 35 or so, and Schwell in 50 to 60, with Fuentes able to drop in when needed, the Braves could go from barely hanging on to having real pitching depth.
I am completely shocked by Elder’s performance thus far. I’m a Braves fan and didn’t think they were a playoff caliber team.
I’m not ready to think they are yet but April has been nice, especially when compared to April 2025.
Assuming Strider can regain his level of performance pre injury, they have a #2 starter returning soon.
#3-5 in the rotation will be interesting to watch. I think it’s gotta be Lopez #3, Holmes #4 and Elder #5. All depending on performance obviously.
They can put Perez in the bullpen as a long reliever as someone here suggested.
Schwellenbach seemed like the real deal but you never know how injuries will affect a pitcher upon returning.
I really loved watching Waldrep take his repertoire up a notch after working with Sean Murphy.
I really hope both of them are healthy first and foremost. Not rushed back.
They’re winning despite Acuna struggling, so anything is possible!
Elder worked with Maddux in the offseason and so far, whatever Greg taught Bryce it has worked
I fear pre-injury Strider is never coming back. In his place will likely be a solid mid rotation starter. Strider is smart and a student of the game and will find a way to reinvent himself into a solid starter.
Hard for me to see Strider as a #2 with the loss of velocity. Very comfortable with Sale throwing a Game 1 in any October playoff series. I don’t think we have our #2 on the roster yet ..enter trade deadline! Very serviceable 3’s through 5’s with depth…some of which could be trade bait in preparation for October.
Strider sitting 95-96 and hit 98 on rehab.
His curve and change actually looked like MLB caliber pitches in the spring too. Even if they’re just show pitches to get guys off his fastball and slider, it makes a huge difference
I personally like Schwellenbach as the #2 and Strider #3
Hopefully mid season barring injuries we have great pitching depth.
Hot take, Holmes or Perez is out of rotation first.
It might be between Holmes or Lopez on who is out of the rotation first.
I’d say Holmes…he can’t give us 5 innings at the moment. Lopez not exactly dealing either. Ecstatic with the teams great start but I believe Holmes, Lopez and Perez pitching is going to start catching up leading to multiple losses unless they get back on track.
Yes, but Holmes could be an excellent long man out of the pen. Moving him to the pen when one of our starters gets back would be a ++.
Oh for sure. A lot of fans, myself included, wanted AA to address SP in the off-season so Holmes or Lopez or both could move back to the pen.
Not even a warm take. Literally what almost every single person thinks.
If the Braves are smart, they’ll find a good trade for Acuna and Profar sooner than later.
What?
Give it a rest.
No one is taking Profar’s contract after back-to-back PED suspensions.
They aren’t trading Acuna
Right !
This is the same team that carried Charlie Culberson for a year and gave him one AB. Dubon can play the OF so that might squeeze White. Heim is probably the odd man out when Murphy is ready.
I think they’ll keep Heim after Murphy comes back, as insurance. He might be gone when Kim comes back.
i liked rick kranitz but jeremy hefner must be doing something right with early overachieving pitching staff..and i’ve been ready for the eli wrong-way white era to come to end for braves..he must fit in well in club house..braves have used several usual suspects last few years, eli and luke williams and chadwick tromp, all seem like perfect example of league average alluded to in wins above replacement..like that is the floor level for functional major leaguer..i want braves to aim for little higher for their entire roster if possible..go braves!
Not sure why Farmer is on the roster….also Payamps hasn’t pitched since last Saturday (4/11) vs Guardians.
Farmer is depth for the infield. When Kim comes back, he’s expendable.