Opening Day is 48 hours away, as the Braves head to San Diego to take on the Padres to kick off the 2025 campaign. Here’s how their rotation will line up to start the season:
- Thursday @ Padres: Chris Sale
- Friday @Padres: Reynaldo Lopez
- Saturday @Padres: Spencer Schwellenbach
- Sunday @Padres: AJ Smith-Shawver
- Monday @Dodgers: Grant Holmes
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Chris Sale was always going to be the Braves Opening Day starter, but the rest was unknown until today. In Game 2, Atlanta will turn to Reynaldo Lopez, who hopes to prove his success in his first year with the Braves was not a fluke after posting a 1.99 ERA over 25 starts last season. Following Lopez will be Spencer Schwellenbach, a young man that has not stopped impressing since the Braves called him up last year.
For the season finale, the Braves decided to ride with AJ Smith-Shawver, an interesting twist after it was announced he won the final spot in the rotation over Ian Anderson. Instead of starting Smith-Shawver on the road against the Dodgers, they chose to give him a revenge opportunity against the Padres, who clubbed him in Game 1 of the Wild Card Series last season. Neither is an easy task, but it will be a nice barometer to see just how far Smith-Shawver has come this offseason.
Wrapping up the first turn through the rotation will be Grant Holmes. One of the surprises of last season, he was a revelation for the Braves, pitching in a number of different roles. Now, he’ll get a full-time crack in the rotation, and as a reward, he will be tasked with facing the loaded Dodgers in Chavez Ravine to kick off the season series between the two clubs.
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Photographer: David J. Griffin/Icon Sportswire
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