Bryce Elder implodes just as Braves confidence was growing

The Atlanta Braves opened their series against the New York Mets with a frustrating loss where the offense never had any real chance. Bryce Elder took the mound and gave up five runs in the first frame, looking to be the version of himself that Atlanta endured watching right after the All-Star Break. It was a frustrating development as Elder had been coming off two incredible starts, offering 13.0 innings and giving up a combined two earned runs in these frames.

Elder gave up a total of seven earned runs and ten hits in a performance that the right-hander would love to forget. It served as a reminder of why the Braves have so many question marks around their current rotation and what will happen in a potential postseason matchup. Coming out of the weekend, it was fair to point to Elder as the second man up based on how his recent starts had gone, with a clear argument that the starter deserved the second starting spot after Chris Sale.

Now, there is even more reason to wonder if the Braves made a mistake opting not to bring in a reliable arm ahead of this year's trade deadline. There is a very real possibility of asking Tyler Mahle or Martin Perezto start a postseason game.Grant Holmes would be the team's current second option after Elder fell apart on Monday night, leaving more questions than answers.

Braves Yet Again Have Reason to Doubt Bryce Elder After Mets Collapse

If there is one thing that should be pointed out in Elder's favor, it is the mental toughness to continue to pitch and give the Braves five innings, helping save the bullpen. The starter at least offered the franchise this much in what was a frustrating start that gave Atlanta a 1-3 record in their last four contests.

With that said, there is still plenty of time for Elder to turn the page and put the failure of this week behind him. There simply is no way around the fact that this version of the pitcher could be the one that shows up when called upon in the 2026 postseason.

It serves as a reminder of why the Braves fanbase has such a high level of frustration around the team's decision-makers and the seeming lack of urgency to make a World Series push. All the other pieces are in place, with the one factor that could hold this team back being the lack of reliability in the rotation after Chris Sale.

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