The Braves are set to square off against the Rays in today’s Grapefruit League opener, and Spencer Strider will toe the rubber for Atlanta.
On Sunday, the Braves will travel back to North Port and host the Red Sox at CoolToday Park. According to David O’Brien of The Athletic, Bryce Elder will get the nod in the home opener.
Bryce Elder will start Sunday’s #Braves home opener vs. Red Sox
— David O'Brien (@DOBrienATL) February 24, 2024
The 2023 All-Star is set to compete for the final spot in the rotation, and a solid spring performance will go a long way in securing it.
Elder’s biggest competition is Reynaldo Lopez, but a slew of youngsters will also be vying for the spot — A.J. Smith-Shawever, Hurston Waldrep, Darius Vines, etc. The Braves had 16 pitchers make at least one start last season, so the expectation is that we will see Elder even if Lopez edges him out on the Opening Day roster.
Because of roster management, it looks like the nod could go to Lopez, but that’s not to say Elder won’t make an impact. The Texas product owns a 2.45 ERA through 17 starts but did post an unsightly 5.26 ERA over his final 10.
It would be wild for an NL All-Star to begin the following season in Triple-A, but that’s a good thing for the Braves. Bryce Elder’s situation is the perfect example of the incredible depth of starting pitchers that Atlanta possesses.
As stated before, the expectation is more than a dozen pitchers will start a game for the Braves this year, the depth is necessary.
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David J. Griffin/Icon Sportswire
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