The Braves are losers of five straight, including being swept by the Brewers. A series in which the Brew Crew recorded 52 hits and outscored Atlanta 34-12.
The loss officially puts the Braves on the outside looking in when it comes to the NL Wild Card race, but Brian Snitker isn’t managing like it. Sticking with the theme of the season, Atlanta went with Bryce Elder in the first game of their series against the Brewers, even though it was supposed to be Chris Sale on regular rest.
The Braves have been giving extra rest to their starters all season in hopes of keeping them fresh for October. The only issue with that is they have to get to the playoffs first. That is no longer looking like a sure thing.
Now, the Braves are giving Spencer Schwellenbach extra rest by skipping his start altogether this weekend against the Rockies to manage his workload.
The Braves say Schwellenbach is just being skipped. He's not hurt https://t.co/4fMbBGJQ0o
— Mark Bowman (@mlbbowman) August 8, 2024
The Braves are managing Spencer Schwellenbach’s workload, which is why they’re skipping him in the rotation. He threw 65 innings last season. He’s at 109 2/3 this year, between the minors and majors.
— Justin Toscano (@JustinCToscano) August 8, 2024
I get managing workloads, but we have less than 50 games left in the season.
I’m not quite sure when the Braves will wake up and realize a sense of urgency might be necessary. This nonchalant attitude that they are just going to waltz into the playoffs is unsettling.
Alex Anthopoulos had it at the trade deadline, which is one thing, but Snitker maintaining it while the Wild Card is slipping through the Braves hands is another thing entirely.
Don’t get me wrong, the Braves don’t need to panic. That won’t help; however, let’s not pretend like a postseason berth is guaranteed for this team. The Braves need to start throwing their best arms on regular rest.
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Jeff Robinson/Icon Sportswire
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