Wednesday's Atlanta Braves loss left a lot of frustrations as a winning record continues to evade the franchise. Starter Grant Holmes dug the offense an early hole, and the team simply couldn't overcome a surprisingly solid Reds bullpen. What the game should have answered for Atlanta is what the team must do when Spencer Strider is ready to return. The rotation questions have answered themselves with the team's recent performance.
AJ Smith-Shawver cannot be pushed out of the rotation after his last incredible performance. This leaves either Grant Holmes or Bryce Elder getting bumped from the rotation when Strider is ready to return. As shocking as it might be, Elder's recent level of production demands that the Braves opt to push Holmes out of the rotation.
As long as Elder continues to pitch at this current level, the starter has more value to Atlanta as a member of the rotation. Not only because of the innings the starter is eating, but also what it means for the Atlanta bullpen.
Bryce Elder Should Remain in the Braves' Rotation
While Elder's future remains on shaky ground, there is no denying how impressive the recent outings have been. Add in Holmes' history in the bullpen, and Atlanta can solve two problems with the move. Holmes was a valuable piece of the Atlanta bullpen in 2024 and would be a pivotal veteran arm that manager Brian Snitker can rely on.
This should be the deciding factor in how the Braves opt to manage the current rotation. Perhaps the only counter to this would be the concern that Elder regresses to the player he has been for the last two seasons. If this were to happen, you cannot simply throw Holmes back into the rotation with the pitcher needing time to stretch out and get back into routine.
However, this is balanced out by the fact Holmes isn't eating innings with the productivity the Braves were hoping to find. Having Holmes as a potential bullpen matchup and fallback innings eater makes the roster undeniably better. It has to at least be on the team's radar with Holmes' recent struggles and Bryce Elder's shocking turnaround.