The Atlanta Braves are trying to stay afloat in the National League playoff race, but their hopes are sinking like the Titanic. Sitting 10 games back of the New York Mets for first place in the NL East Division and seven games back of the San Diego Padres for the final Wild Card spot, the Braves need solutions soon, especially when it comes to the starting rotation.
AJ Smith-Shawver’s season-ending injury and Chris Sale’s current trip to the injured list have left Atlanta short-handed on the mound. While they’ve tried to solve the problem by calling up top pitching prospect Didier Fuentes, the 20-year-old hasn’t proven to be the solution after getting tagged for 10 earned runs over his first two starts.
It’s left the Braves searching for answers and another potential solution that reeks of desperation.
Braves Could Try Career Reliever Jackson Stephens in Starting Rotation
According to The Athletic’s David O’Brien, the Braves could turn to Jackson Stephens to fill the team’s fifth rotation spot. Stephens has been solid this season, going 3-0 with a 3.21 ERA. But the biggest problem is that Stephens has been a reliever for the majority of his major league career.
Stephens began his career with the Cincinnati Reds but became a reliever during the 2018 season. A three-year odyssey that saw him pitch for Dos Laredos of the Mexican League and Lara of the Venezuelan Winter League during the 2021 season helped him land with the Braves, who have used him as a reliever in 46 of his 47 major league appearances for the organization.
The good news is that the 31-year-old has begun to stretch out at Triple-A Gwinnett, and the results have been positive so far. He struck out nine batters over four innings in his first start against the Charlotte Knights on June 20 and backed it up with five shutout innings with a hit, two walks, and three strikeouts against the Norfolk Tides on Thursday.
Still, it’s a risk for the Braves to put a player who hasn’t started a major league game since 2022 on the mound and another to have that player try to hold down the fifth spot in the rotation. While Fuentes doesn’t look ready for the majors, calling up Stephens to start is a move that shouldn’t need to happen as the Braves’ playoff hopes circle the drain.