In the first start in Spencer Strider‘s spot at the top of the rotation since his injury, the Braves gave Allan Winans an opportunity. The 28-year-old right-hander is a late bloomer who was a star for the Gwinnett Stripers a season ago and even made six starts for the Braves, including seven innings of shutout ball against the New York Mets.
Thursday’s outing against the Mets went a lot differently, however. The breaks just never seemed to go his way, as New York jumped all over him in the first three innings, scoring seven runs. Winans did settle down and shut the Mets down over his final two frames, but the damage was already done, as the Braves were walloped 16-4 in the season finale, dropping their first series of the season.
Winans is a nice story, but at least right now, he’s a AAAA player, somebody good enough to dominate in AAA but not quite cut out for the majors. He was never next in line to fill Spencer Strider’s spot in the rotation permanently. It just worked out that way because of the timeline. Soon after the game, the Braves optioned him back to Gwinnett.
The Braves optioned Allan Winans.
— Justin Toscano (@JustinCToscano) April 11, 2024
Perhaps we see Winans later in the year, but if things work out in the Braves’ favor, the next guy up will help stabilize the rotation. The Atlanta lineup was able to overcome the revolving door that was the back of the rotation last year, but that’s a dangerous game. My guess is that Bryce Elder will get the nod next, following the exact same path to the majors that he did a season ago.
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Photographer: David J. Griffin/Icon Sportswire
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