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Craig Kimbrel’s Braves Deal Contains Rolling Opt-Out Clause

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The Braves signed veteran closer Craig Kimbrel to a minor league deal in the middle of March. He hasn’t been called up to the big leagues yet but it seems that could happen at any time with any club. Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports that Kimbrel’s deal has a clause that Rosenthal refers to as a “rolling opt-out”. This clause means that, if any other club offers him a major league job, Atlanta has to promote him or let him go.

The way Rosenthal describes it, it sounds more like an upward mobility clause than a strict opt-out. With an opt-out clause, a player usually has a specific date wherein he can trigger the clause and become a free agent. With an upward mobility clause, when the player triggers it, it gives teams around the league a chance to give the player a major league roster spot. There’s usually a time frame of 48 hours for such decisions. If any club wants the player, the original signing team then has to decide to call him up or let the claiming team have him.

Semantics aside, what seems to be unique in this case is the “rolling” nature of the clause. Rather than having specific dates mentioned in the contract, it seems that any of the 29 other clubs could trigger the clause at any time by offering Kimbrel a gig in the big leagues. If that happens, Atlanta would then have to decide to call him up or let him go.

That makes it somewhat surprising that Kimbrel isn’t in the majors already. He has thrown 17 innings in the minors this year, mostly at Triple-A but also with a few appearances at Double-A. He has a combined 1.06 earned run average on the year. His 12.5% walk rate is a bit high but he has struck out 32.8% of batters faced and kept 45.7% of balls in play on the ground. A .171 batting average on balls in play isn’t sustainable but his 2.43 FIP suggests he’s still doing quite well when correcting for some regression.

That’s a fairly small sample of work in the minor leagues but Kimbrel also has his lengthy major league track record. He is fifth on the all-time saves leaderboard with 440. He has a 2.59 ERA over 809 2/3 innings, along with a 38.8% strikeout rate and 10.4% walk rate.

More recently, his results have been less consistent, which is why he settled for a minor league deal coming into this year. He was quite shaky in 2019 and 2020, posting ERAs north of 5.00 in both of those seasons. He generally had better results for the 2021-23 campaigns but struggled again in 2024. He posted a 5.33 ERA with the Orioles last year, getting released in September.

Perhaps teams are putting more stock in last year’s struggles in the majors, as opposed to this year’s good results in the minors. His deal also comes with a $2MM base salary if he’s called up. Presumably, that’s prorated, leaving a bit less than $1.3MM to be paid out at this point. That’s relatively small by MLB standards but teams are often reluctant to add money in midseason pickups. Joel Payamps just passed through waivers unclaimed even though he was quite effective in 2023-24. His $2.995MM salary this year might have been a factor, in addition to the fact that his results have backed up.

Whatever the reasons, Kimbrel still doesn’t have a major league opportunity. But given that a number of clubs around the league are dealing with bullpen challenges and pitcher injuries are inevitable, a path could open for him. Given the specifics of this clause, he only needs one of the 30 clubs to bite.

Photo courtesy of Kareem Elgazzar, Imagn Images

AJ Smith-Shawver Diagnosed With Torn UCL

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Braves right-hander AJ Smith-Shawver has been diagnosed with a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his throwing elbow, reports Mark Bowman of MLB.com. It is still being determined whether the righty will undergo Tommy John surgery or an internal brace procedure. In either case, he should miss the remainder of this season and part of the 2026 campaign as well.

The news is devastating but not surprising. Smith-Shawver started the first game of yesterday’s doubleheader against the Phillies. He was removed in the third inning and it was quickly reported that he felt a pop in his throwing elbow. He was placed on the 15-day IL before the second game of that twin bill with an elbow strain. “It doesn’t look good,” was manager Brian Snitker’s assessment of the situation. He was transferred to the 60-day IL earlier today, only enhancing the sense that bad news was coming.

All the warning signs have now proven to be accurate. Smith-Shawver will go under the knife and the only thing left to determine is if he’ll require a full Tommy John procedure or the internal brace variant. The latter generally comes with a slightly lesser return timeline, but even that reduced time frame is generally around a year or so. He will therefore spend the rest of the year on the 60-day IL and will perhaps start the 2026 season there as well.

He will collect big league pay and service time while on the IL but that’s a small consolation. He was in the middle of establishing himself as a true big league starter. He had logged 44 1/3 innings over nine starts this year with a 3.86 earned run average. His 10.9% walk rate was on the high side but his 21.9% strikeout rate was slightly above par for a starter. He’ll now have to wait until 2026 to build off that showing.

For the team, they are now down two starters. Reynaldo López had arthroscopic shoulder surgery earlier in the year and seems unlikely to return until late in the season, even in a best-case scenario.

Bryce Elder will be recalled to start on Sunday, per Bowman. Elder seemingly cemented himself in the big leagues in 2023 when he posted a 3.81 ERA over 31 starts. However, his results backed up last year, which bumped him down the chart to being a frequently-optioned depth piece. He was only able to make ten big league starts last year with a 6.52 ERA. He has continued to be shuttled to Gwinnett and back here in 2025. He has a 4.50 ERA in eight big league starts as well as an 8.76 ERA in three Triple-A starts.

If Elder falters, he still has options and the club has other arms available. Hurston Waldrep, Nathan Wiles and Davis Daniel are all on the 40-man roster and pitching in the Triple-A rotation. Ian Anderson and José Suarez are not on the 40-man roster but both have major league experience and are pitching in the Triple-A rotation as well.

Photo courtesy of Bill Streicher, Imagn Images

Braves Sign Jose Azocar, Transfer AJ Smith-Shawver To 60-Day IL

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The Braves announced this morning that they’ve selected the contract of outfielder Jose Azocar to the major league roster. Azocar just elected free agency two days ago after being outrighted by the Mets. Atlanta hadn’t announced their signing of him, but it seems he signed a minor league pact and has quickly been summoned to the majors. In a concerning development, righty AJ Smith-Shawver, who was recently placed on the IL due to an elbow strain, has already been transferred to the 60-day injured list. He’ll now miss at least two months of action.

Atlanta also placed outfielder Stuart Fairchild on the 10-day IL with a dislocated pinkie finger, optioned righty Michael Petersen to Triple-A Gwinnett and recalled left-hander Dylan Dodd.

Azocar, 29, appeared in a dozen games for the Mets this year and went 5-for-18 (all singles). He’s seen action in each of the past four MLB seasons, primarily with the Padres, and carries a career .245/.290/.320 slash with two homers and 19 steals in 417 plate appearances.

The righty-swinging Azocar’s game is focused on defense and baserunning, much like the injured Fairchild, who he’s effectively replacing on Atlanta’s roster. Azocar is actually a narrow tick faster, averaging 28.9 ft/sec to Fairchild’s 28.7, per Statcast’s measurements. The specifics aren’t all that important with a gap that small; the larger takeaway is that the Braves aren’t losing any speed off the bench and are swapping out the injured Fairchild for another solid defender who can handle all three outfield spots. There is, however, a notable gap in offensive skill set. Neither is a plus hitter overall, but Fairchild has solid splits against lefties in his big league career. Azocar, despite swinging right-handed, actually has considerably better career marks versus righties than lefties.

The news on Smith-Shawver comes as a significant concern. He started the first game of yesterday’s doubleheader but was tagged for two runs in 2 2/3 innings before departing with elbow discomfort. Atlanta placed him on the 15-day IL with an elbow strain between starts. The immediate move to the 60-day IL rules Smith-Shawver out until at least late July, and the specter of an even lengthier absence will now loom until the Braves provide a more detailed update on his status.

Smith-Shawver’s injury is the latest in a long line of notable injuries for Atlanta this year. The former top prospect was among the leaders in a weak National League Rookie of the Year field. Through his first seven starts, Smith-Shawver coasted to a terrific 2.33 ERA, fanning nearly a quarter of his opponents (albeit against a less-encouraging 10.6% walk rate). Things have taken an ugly turn over his past two starts. The Nats trounced him for seven runs in three innings last week, and he was shaky before being lifted from yesterday’s start.

Smith-Shawver joins Reynaldo Lopez and Joe Jimenez as key pitchers on the 60-day injured list for the Braves. Atlanta has also endured notable absences from ace Spencer Strider, star outfielder Ronald Acuña Jr. and catcher Sean Murphy, though all three are healthy and active at the moment.

AJ Smith-Shawver Placed On 15-Day IL With Elbow Strain

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Between games of today’s doubleheader against the Phillies, the Braves placed right-hander AJ Smith-Shawver on the 15-day injured list with a right elbow strain. Righty Michael Petersen has been recalled to take his place on the active roster.

Smith-Shawver started the first game the twin bill today but departed in the third inning. There was some initial speculation he had sustained a foot injury since he had been hit by a comebacker in the game, but it’s now clear that it’s a more ominous elbow injury. Per Mark Bowman of MLB.com, the righty felt a pop in his elbow and is now going back to Atlanta for testing. Those tests will reveal more information but manager Brian Snitker says that “it doesn’t look good.”

More concrete information will surely be forthcoming after Smith-Shawver visits with the medical experts but it seems fair to wonder about the worst-case situation in this scenario. The specter of a notable surgery is always looming when a pitcher’s elbow is in the spotlight and the omens seem particularly gloomy in this case. Even if Smith-Shawver can avoid the scalpel, a notable absence of some kind could still be a possibility.

Prior to this injury, Smith-Shawver seemed to be putting a bit of a breakout together. He came into this season with just 29 2/3 innings of major league experience. Before today’s truncated outing, he had added 41 2/3 innings over eight starts this year. He has allowed 3.67 earned runs per nine in those with a 22.7% strikeout rate and 11% walk rate. He seemed to be in the process of establishing himself as a bonafide big league starter but that will be put on hold now, potentially for an extended amount of time.

For the club, they will have to figure out how to fill that rotation spot. Reynaldo López is out due to arthroscopic shoulder surgery and is still a few months away from a potential return. Four spots are currently held by Chris Sale, Spencer Strider, Spencer Schwellenbach and Grant Holmes.

Per Bowman, Bryce Elder is likely to come up and take over for Smith-Shawver. Elder has a 4.50 ERA in eight starts for Atlanta this year. They could also kick that decision down the road a bit. They have Sale going in tonight’s game, followed by Holmes, Schwellenbach and Strider in their weekend series against the Red Sox. They are off on Monday and could therefore go back to Sale on regular rest on Tuesday. That would mean Elder wouldn’t be needed until next weekend, though they could also call him up early next week and push everyone back a day.

Assuming Elder holds a rotation spot for a while, the club’s top depth options will likely now be Hurston Waldrep, Nathan Wiles and Davis Daniel. All three of them are on the 40-man roster and pitching in Triple-A.

Photo courtesy of Bill Streicher, Imagn Images

Braves Sign Jose Cuas To Minor League Deal

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The Braves have signed right-hander Jose Cuas to a minor league deal, according to the transactions tracker on his MLB.com profile page. Cuas, who the Braves have initially assigned to Double-A, was previously in the Phillies organization at Triple-A but was released earlier this month.

Cuas, 31 next month, made his pro debut with the Brewers back in 2018 but didn’t make it to the majors until 2022 as a member of the Royals organization after bouncing between the minor leagues with the Brewers and Diamondbacks and mixing in multiple stints with the independent Long Island Ducks. The righty began throwing sidearm during his time with the Ducks and took that approach into the big leagues with him, posting a 3.58 ERA (115 ERA+) with a 4.39 FIP in 47 appearances for Kansas City during his rookie campaign.

The right-hander continued to pitch for the Royals the following year, but was traded to the Cubs ahead of the 2023 trade deadline in exchange for outfielder Nelson Velazquez. Cuas proceeded to pitch to a 3.04 ERA in 23 2/3 innings of work down the stretch for Chicago, albeit with a 4.90 FIP, 19.0% strikeout rate, and 14.0% walk rate that all stood out as potential red flags regarding the righty’s effectiveness. Cuas remained in the Cubs’ bullpen mix for the start of the 2024 season, but was cut from the team after surrendering a 7.43 ERA with a 6.02 FIP across nine appearances early last year. He was plucked off waivers by the Blue Jays shortly thereafter but surrendered three runs in three innings of work for Toronto with more walks than strikeouts before being claimed by the Phillies in September.

Cuas did not make an appearance for Philadelphia at the big league level in 2024 before being outrighted off the 40-man roster back in January. He began the year with the club’s Triple-A affiliate in Lehigh Valley, but was cut loose after surrendering a 13.50 ERA with more walks than strikeouts in seven outings at Triple-A. After going unsigned on the open market for a couple of weeks, he’s now caught on with Atlanta and will try to work out his control issues at the Double-A level.

If the Braves can figure out how to harness Cuas’s impressive raw stuff, he could prove to be an asset to a bullpen that is in desperate need of reinforcements. Raisel Iglesias is in the midst of a career-worst season as the club’s closer after dominating in the role as recently as last year, and while other arms like Daysbel Hernandez and Aaron Bummer have mostly pitched well this year, the club’s relievers have posted a 4.01 FIP that leaves them sixth from the bottom in the NL this year. Getting Iglesias right will of course be the most important factor in turning the club’s relief corps around, but if Cuas can get right and offer another viable arm to the club that would provide a real boost to Atlanta’s efforts to force itself back into the playoff conversation after their brutal 0-7 start to the season has largely been erased by a run of strong play in more recent weeks. For now, he joins a battery of non-roster depth options for the bullpen that also includes Craig Kimbrel and Jesse Chavez.

Braves Release Orlando Arcia

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May 25: Atlanta has released Arcia, according to Mark Bowman of MLB.com. The infielder is now a free agent who is free to sign with any club.

May 23: The Braves announced Friday that they’ve designated infielder Orlando Arcia for assignment. His active roster spot will go to returning All-Star Ronald Acuña Jr., whose previously reported reinstatement from the injured list is now official.

Atlanta originally acquired Arcia from the Brewers in a trade sending righties Patrick Weigel and Chad Sobotka back to Milwaukee. Arcia struggled in 2021, his first partial season with the Braves, but Atlanta nonetheless signed him to a guaranteed two-year, $3MM contract to buy out his final arbitration seasons. A club option for the 2024 campaign extended their window of control over him by one season.

Arcia went on to have a solid showing in a utility capacity in 2022 (.244/.316/.416 in 268 plate appearances), and the Braves ripped up that prior contract to sign him to a new extension in March of 2023. That deal guaranteed Arcia a modest $7.3MM from 2023-25 and tacked on a club option for the 2026 season. At first, it looked like a masterstroke by president of baseball operations Alex Anthopoulos, as Arcia improbably made the All-Star team in 2023 while replacing former franchise shortstop Dansby Swanson, who had signed with the Cubs in free agency. His terrific first half gave way to some second-half doldrums, however, and Arcia has never recovered at the plate.

Arcia’s role as the starting shortstop has been overtaken by light-hitting but slick-fielding Nick Allen this season. Arcia has totaled just 32 plate appearances and gone 6-for-31 with five singles and a double. Dating back to August of that 2023 season, he’s batted a paltry .238/.292/.380 (83 wRC+) with a 20.4% strikeout rate and 6.8% walk rate.

As of this writing, Arcia is still owed $1.376MM of this year’s $2MM salary. His contract contains a $2MM club option with a $1MM buyout, bringing the total owed to him up to $2.376MM. It’s a light enough commitment, with an affordable extra season of club control, that perhaps a team in dire need of infield help would consider taking a flier.

The likelier outcome is that Arcia is simply released, as is the case with most veteran players on guaranteed salaries who hit waivers during the season, although if other clubs have interest in a trade, Atlanta could always offer to cover a portion of the remaining guarantee to further entice potential trade partners. The Braves will have five days to trade Arcia before they’re required to place him on waivers — a 48-hour process — in order to ensure that Arcia’s DFA is resolved within the one-week maximum timeframe. He can, of course, be placed on release waivers or outright waivers at any point prior to that.

Rangers Trade Jonathan Ornelas To Braves

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The Rangers announced the trade of infielder Jonathan Ornelas to the Braves for cash considerations. Texas had designated him for assignment earlier this week when they claimed Michael Helman off waivers from Pittsburgh. Atlanta already had an opening on the 40-man roster after yesterday’s DFA of Orlando Arcia. They optioned Ornelas to Triple-A Gwinnett, so no further move is necessary.

Ornelas changes organizations for the first time. Texas drafted him out of high school in the third round in 2018. He has never been a great minor league hitter, but he’s a versatile defender with enough athleticism and arm strength to play on the left side of the infield. Texas added him to the 40-man roster to keep him out of the Rule 5 draft after the 2022 season. That followed a career-best .299/.360/.425 showing as a 22-year-old in Double-A.

The right-handed hitter hasn’t matched that production since moving up to Triple-A. He’s a career .247/.348/.333 hitter in more than 1000 plate appearances over three seasons at the top minor league level. That includes a .204/.339/.235 start through 30 games this year. He has appeared in 30 MLB contests over a handful of stints going back to 2023. Ornelas has hit .184 without a home run while striking out 20 times in 54 big league plate appearances.

Atlanta has limited roster flexibility on the position player side. The only hitters on the active roster who have minor league options are Michael Harris II and rookie catcher Drake Baldwin, neither of whom is in danger of getting sent down. Luke Williams projects as the backup infielder now that they’ve moved on from Arcia.

Justin Toscano of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution relayed yesterday that Eli White will take pregame infield reps to offer more flexibility off the bench. Ornelas, who is in his final option year, can spend the remainder of the season in Gwinnett as an alternative to the out-of-options Williams and White if the Braves decide to make any changes.

Braves Expected To Activate Ronald Acuna On Friday

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Ronald Acuña Jr. is seemingly one day away from his return to Truist Park. The Braves scratched Acuña from what would have been his sixth rehab appearance with Triple-A Gwinnett. Daniel Álvarez-Montes of El Extrabase reports that Acuña is en route to meet the team in Atlanta. Francys Romero adds that the Braves intend to activate him from the injured list before tomorrow’s series opener against the Padres.

It’s three days shy of the one-year anniversary of Acuña’s season-ending ACL tear. On May 26, 2024, he tore the ligament in his left knee while bluffing a stolen base attempt. It was the second time in his seven-year career that a season had been cut short by a devastating knee injury. Acuña tore the ACL in his right knee in July 2021, sidelining him for their World Series run.

Acuña made a quicker return from his first ACL tear. He was reinstated before the end of April 2022. He showed some signs of rust throughout that year, hitting .266/.351/.413 the rest of the way. That was well below his 2018-21 production. He followed with a career-best season to win the 2023 NL MVP award. He’d been out to a slower start last season, batting .250/.351/.365 across 49 games.

The Braves took things more slowly with Acuña’s second ACL rehab. He didn’t log any game action in Spring Training and has spent the first two months of the season on the IL. Atlanta sent him to their complex to begin a rehab assignment 10 days ago. He played one game there before reporting to Gwinnett, where he collected five hits and took seven walks in five games. The Braves have evidently seen enough to plug him back into Brian Snitker’s lineup, presumably in his customary leadoff spot.

Alex Verdugo has been hitting atop the order while playing every day in left field. He’s struggling offensively for a second consecutive year. Verdugo has hit .257/.314/.330 without a home run in 118 plate appearances. That’s on par with his .233/.291/.356 batting line in last season’s disappointing run with the Yankees.

Acuña has been a full-time right fielder over the past half-decade. He’ll slot back into that position, where Eli White has played his way into regular playing time. He could slide to left field and cut into Verdugo’s reps. White hit .311/.367/.600 with eight extra-base hits in April. His bat has cooled this month (.269/.310/.358 with no home runs), but that’s still a bit better than what Verdugo has provided.

White hits right-handed but has been better without the platoon advantage throughout his career. The lefty-hitting Verdugo is much better against righty pitching, as expected. Jurickson Profar will be back from his PED suspension in July. He’ll presumably return to everyday left field work, though he’d be ineligible for postseason play if the Braves qualify.

Atlanta has clawed back to .500 following their 0-7 start to the season. They’re three games back of the NL’s final Wild Card spot, which is currently held by the team they’ll welcome tomorrow. San Diego swept the Braves over a four-game set to open the year, but they’re taking a six-game losing streak into this weekend’s series.

The Braves technically only need to create an active roster spot for Acuña’s return from the 10-day IL, but they’re quite likely to designate someone for assignment tomorrow. Drake Baldwin and Michael Harris II are the only hitters on the active roster who have minor league options. Luke Williams, Stuart Fairchild and Orlando Arcia are all out of options and have seen little to no playing time off the bench in recent weeks.

Braves Release Garrett Cooper, Jordan Weems

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The Braves released a pair of veterans who’d been playing with their Triple-A affiliates on minor league contracts: first baseman/outfielder Garrett Cooper and right-handed reliever Jordan Weems. Both moves are reflected on the transaction log at MiLB.com.

Cooper, 34, is a veteran of eight big league seasons. He was a regular with the Marlins when healthy from 2019-22, quietly delivering a sharp .274/.350/.444 batting line in 1273 plate appearances over that stretch. Cooper was snakebit by injuries over that four-year period, however, spending time on the injured list due to wrist, hand, elbow and back injuries. He also missed time with a concussion and suffered a broken finger in the final days of the 2022 season.

Miami traded Cooper to San Diego at the ’23 deadline — a deal netting them lefty Ryan Weathers — and Cooper became a free agent at season’s end. He appeared in 36 big league games with the Cubs and Red Sox last year but hit just .206/.267/.299 in 116 plate appearances.

The early returns on Cooper’s minor league deal with Atlanta were good. He opened the season hitting .244/.426/.415 and drew 11 walks in his first 54 plate appearances (20.4%). He’s fallen into a slump since, slashing just .220/.238/.256 with two walks and only three extra-base hits (all doubles) in his 84 most recent plate appearances.

Cooper’s last full, productive season was in 2022, but he was a nearly average bat in 2023 and has a track record of some length in the majors. He’s a career .265/.333/.427 hitter overall, and his right-handed bat plays particularly well against lefties: .283/.333/.468. Teams looking for help at first base — such as Cooper’s old Red Sox club — or just a veteran bat on the bench could take a speculative look now that he’s a free agent.

Similarly, the 32-year-old Weems had a nice start in Gwinnett before falling into a rough patch. The former A’s and Nationals righty tossed 9 2/3 innings with a 2.79 ERA and 12-to-5 K/BB ratio in April but has now yielded runs in five of his past six outings. Since the calendar flipped to May, Weems has surrendered seven earned runs in eight frames and fanned just 15.4% of opponents (compared to 29.3% in April). He’s now sitting on a 5.09 ERA in 17 2/3 innings this year.

Weems has logged big league time in each of the past five seasons and was a consistent presence in the Nats’ bullpen from 2022-24. His year-to-year ERA marks were a rollercoaster that evened out with a combined 5.03 through 136 innings during his time in D.C. The righty fanned 23% of opponents against a 10.8% walk rate with Washington.

Weems’ best year both with the Nationals and in his major league career on the whole came in 2023, when he pitched 54 2/3 innings with a 3.62 earned run average, a 25.7% strikeout rate and a 12.4% walk rate. Manager Dave Martinez typically used Weems in lower-leverage middle relief situations throughout his time as a National.

Braves Activate Spencer Strider

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May 19: The Braves announced this morning that Strider has been reinstated. Dodd was optioned to Triple-A Gwinnett in a corresponding move.

May 18: The Braves optioned right-hander Bryce Elder to the minor leagues to call up southpaw Dylan Dodd earlier this weekend. The 2023 All-Star had a middling 4.50 ERA and 4.92 FIP in eight starts in the majors to this point in the season, so the club’s decision to send Elder to Triple-A is hardly a shock. That said, it’s still notable given that it opens up a spot in the rotation behind Chris Sale, Spencer Schwellenbach, AJ Smith-Shawver, and Grant Holmes.

At first glance, Dodd seems like the obvious candidate to take that role considering that the lefty has started seven of his eight MLB appearances so far in his career. Dodd has moved to the bullpen full time at Triple-A this year, however, and Mark Bowman of MLB.com reported today that right-hander Spencer Strider is actually the one who will take Elder’s spot in the rotation after he’s activated from the injured list on May 20.

The 26-year-old missed nearly all of last season after undergoing internal brace surgery on his UCL early last year. The righty made it back to the big league mound just over a month ago and struck out five across five innings of one-run ball, but suffered a hamstring injury shortly thereafter while playing catch in preparation for his second start of the season. Rather than take any chances with Strider pitching on a balky hamstring, Atlanta placed him back on the injured list, where he’s remained for the past month.

Now, it appears Strider is finally poised to take his second start of the 2025 season. It was reported last week that Strider was scheduled to throw a 70-to-75 pitch simulated game in preparation for his return to action, at which point the club would decide whether to send him on a short rehab assignment or activate him directly off of the injured list. It seems they’ve opted to go with the latter option in order to get Strider back to the majors as quickly as possible. A disastrous 0-7 start to the season has become little more than a bad memory, as the 24-23 Braves are just four games back of a playoff spot and five games back of the Mets in the NL East.

That’s hardly an insurmountable deficit, particularly for a club that’s hoping to get a healthy, vintage performance from Strider the rest of the way. The hard-throwing righty was among the best pitchers in baseball in his first two MLB seasons as he posted a 3.36 ERA with a 2.43 FIP and a 37.4% strikeout rate from 2022 to 2023. If he can offer anything close to that sort of a production for a rotation that already features the reigning NL Triple Crown winner in Sale and a pair of electric young arms in Schwellenbach and Smith-Shawver, Atlanta should be a force to be reckoned with moving forward this year before even considering the fact that Ronald Acuna Jr.’s own return may be just around the corner or that All-Stars Ozzie Albies and Michael Harris II have yet to produce offensively this year.

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