The Braves have the kind of dilemma every team in the league should envy. Their rotation has been the best in baseball through the first month, and they have another potential frontline arm on the way back from the IL.
On Tuesday, Spencer Strider will make his second rehab start — this time for Gwinnett — after throwing 50 pitches for High-A Rome last week. He’ll likely need at least one more outing to continue building up, but after that, the Braves could be ready to bring him back.
Which means — unless they opt to roll with a six-man rotation for a stretch, which might be on the table — someone is going to have to move.
We know it’s not going to be Chris Sale, and it’s safe to say Reynaldo López and Bryce Elder have earned a longer leash for now. That could change down the line, but both have shown enough upside to justify sticking with them a bit longer.
That leaves Grant Holmes and MartÃn Pérez, and that’s where things get tricky.
If you’re going strictly off performance this season, the answer is Pérez. He owns a 2.21 ERA over 20.1 innings and is coming off six scoreless frames against the Phillies. Holmes, meanwhile, hasn’t made it out of the fifth inning in either of his last two starts.
But if you zoom out and look at the bigger picture, the conversation is a bit different. Holmes has been steady over the last three seasons, posting a 3.78 ERA across 209.2 innings since debuting with Atlanta in 2024. There’s a level of consistency — and arguably more long-term upside — there.
The answer could ultimately come down to roster management. The Braves probably don’t want to risk losing Pérez on waivers if they designate him for assignment again — not with how he’s pitching right now. Holmes, on the other hand, has experience out of the bullpen and has thrived in that role before.
That feels like the most logical path today, but the next couple of weeks matter. As Strider continues to ramp up, performances could shift the conversation quickly. And it’s also worth noting — these discussions will be ongoing throughout the year.
Because help is coming, and not just from Strider. JR Ritchie and Didier Fuentes are carving up hitters in Triple-A Gwinnett and have done everything possible to earn a shot. Given their upside, it’s not hard to envision one — or both — forcing their way into the picture. And that’s before even considering the potential returns of Hurston Waldrep and Spencer Schwellenbach later in the year.
In a lot of ways, the early part of 2026 has validated Alex Anthopoulos’ approach. He bet on the organization’s pitching depth being stronger than outsiders believed, and so far, it’s paying off. This group has been instrumental in the 15–7 start, but outside of Chris Sale, there’s no guarantee any of them are still in these roles when the season reaches the finish line.
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(Photo by David J. Griffin/Icon Sportswire)
