Spencer Strider is the last member of the Atlanta Braves' expected 2025 rotation left standing. While the ace continues an up-and-down season, he is the lone reliable option Atlanta has left to turn to. Chris Sale, Spencer Schwellenbach, Reynaldo Lopez, AJ Smith-Shawver, and Grant Holmes are all on the injured list with no expected return dates. Only Sale has an obvious timeline as he works his way back from a ribcage fracture.
However, there is an argument to be made in a lost season that there is no reason to bring back any of the four injured starters. Smith-Shawver is excluded from this based on undergoing season-ending surgery.
Timelines for the remaining pitchers are a bit murky, and the Braves should keep it this way. As the franchise continues to flirt with falling 20 games below .500, there isn't time left for a run. The season is over, and with it, any reasonable expectations from the rotation. There is no better example of this fact than Erick Fedde, who was just acquired and will make a start on Tuesday night. This is on the heels of allowing 26 earned runs in five starts.
Braves' Desperation Continues to Reach New Levels
Fedde getting a start speaks to a team that has given up and is simply looking for veterans to eat innings. The former Cardinals starter fits this description perfectly, playing on an expiring contract and having no expectations in his new landing spot.
It is hard to remember the last time that the Braves were brought this low when it comes to starting pitching. Even during the rebuild, pieces like Julio Teheran and Bartolo Colon offered entertainment even if the results weren't as desired.
Atlanta's standards have reached a low beyond even this, simply looking to add players capable of stepping into the rotation. The results or entertainment value are no longer a consideration for the Braves. All of this misery started with the refusal of ownership and the front office to make obvious upgrades and add depth options. You can't keep your window of contention open and give in to contentment.
The Los Angeles Dodgers are the perfect example of this, winning the World Series and spending the following offseason racking up new top-dollar contracts. Sitting content and allowing franchise players to walk away is what has landed the Braves here as the season continues to reach new lows. The latest example is a failing starter who has been brought on to help Atlanta limp towards the end of the 2025 season.