Even the lowly Atlanta Braves rotation appears to have standards too high for Carlos Carrasco, who has been quickly jettisoned after last night's implosion. The veteran starter was brought in due to a myriad of injuries, creating a sense of desperation to eat innings. While this makes sense, the strategy only works if the starter is able to get enough outs to offset the poor production.
It wasn't the case for Carrasco, who had allowed 12 earned runs in two starts against the Miami Marlins and New York Mets. The lineup the starter was facing didn't seem to matter; the production was going to remain far below average. With this in mind, Atlanta's quick pivot makes sense even with the current injuries to the rotation. Looking back at projections for the rotation, only Spencer Strider remains from early-season expectations.
Spencer Schwellenbach, AJ Smith-Shawver, Reynaldo Lopez, and Grant Holmes are all on the injured list with no hint of a return. Chris Sale has missed the last month as well, but is starting to stretch back out and could soon return to the rotation. This all helps paint the picture of why Carrasco was ever on the Atlanta roster in the first place.
The #Braves today recalled RHP Hunter Stratton to Atlanta and designated RHP Carlos Carrasco for assignment.
— Atlanta Braves (@Braves) August 14, 2025
Braves Designate Carlos Carrasco for Assignment After Last Night's Disaster
Hunter Stratton has been called up to take Carrasco's roster spot while Atlanta waits for the return of Sale. It seems like this answers the question of who was going to be demoted when the veteran was ready to rejoin the rotation. There was no shortage of options, with none of Atlanta's current options consistently throwing the ball well.
Even Strider has greatly struggled over the last weeks, unable to provide the elite production Braves fans have come to expect. This is just a piece of what makes this season so concerning. It cannot simply be written off as injuries when players were performing poorly when the roster was fully healthy. Regardless, the Braves made the right move by parting ways with the veteran.
Carrasco was a gamble who had proven to be a recent liability. However, the Braves simply had nothing to lose, hoping to find a capable innings eater even if the results weren't ideal. The veteran made it impossible to continue to justify his roster spot when you're not only giving up runs in bunches but also unable to get deep into a game. Atlanta will continue to limp its rotation towards the end of the season, with fans beyond ready for the misery to end.