ATLANTA -- The Braves have spent all season hearing the same drumbeat: they need starting pitching. That hasn’t changed. If anything, the case has only gotten stronger.
But there’s another part of the Deadline conversation that matters just as much, and it starts with the lineup. Ronald Acuña Jr. is expected back from the injured list soon, and that alone changes the look of Atlanta’s offense. It won’t solve everything, but it does give the Braves a much deeper everyday group.
For the next stretch, you can pencil in seven names with confidence: Acuña, Drake Baldwin, Matt Olson, Austin Riley, Michael Harris II, Ozzie Albies and Mauricio Dubón. That gives the Braves a solid core before they even get into the matchup pieces.
Against right-handed pitching, the group would expand to include Jim Jarvis and Mike Yastrzemski. Yastrzemski has done exactly what Atlanta brought him in to do, posting an .859 OPS against righties over 122 plate appearances since May 12.
Jarvis, meanwhile, has earned a look too, hitting .292 with a .791 OPS in his first 52 plate appearances of the season. He even singled off Mason Miller’s 103.1 mph fastball in Tuesday night’s ninth inning.
Dominic Smith, on the other hand, has not given the Braves much to work with. Since May 1, he’s sitting on a .597 OPS in 171 plate appearances.
The left-handed starter picture gets trickier. If Baldwin is the designated hitter, then Joey Bart or Sean Murphy - if Murphy is back at some point in August - would handle catching duties. Shortstop could go to Jarvis or Dubón, and if Dubón is at short, Eli White could slide into left field.
If Baldwin has to catch against a lefty, the DH options become thin fast. White has a .756 OPS against left-handed pitching this season, and he brings value with his glove and speed. Even so, the Braves could probably find a stronger right-handed bat before the Deadline.
Ha-Seong Kim is the most obvious name in that mix, but there are real questions about whether he would be an upgrade. He’s been hitting the ball hard in his rehab games with Triple-A Gwinnett, but the defensive comparison matters here too.
Dubón has a +4 Outs Above Average at shortstop this year. Jarvis is at -1, and Kim is at -2.
Kim also still has two months left on his one-year, $20 million deal, which makes him a possible trade chip rather than an obvious fit. If the Braves can turn him into a mid-tier prospect, that might be the cleaner move. They did something similar last year when they sent Rafael Montero to the Tigers and got Jarvis back.
The bigger issue, though, is still the rotation. Reynaldo López only lasted 4 1/3 innings in Tuesday night’s loss, and that only sharpened the focus on what Atlanta needs to chase before Aug. 3.
Bryce Elder, though, has made a case for himself. He was solid on Monday, and through June 7 he had one of MLB’s top 10 ERAs over a 21-start stretch that began Aug.
24, 2025. He may not look like a classic frontline arm, but he’s pitched like one.
Right now, he’d be the Game 2 starter.
The rest of the group has more limitations. López, Holmes and Perez are not the kind of starters you can count on to regularly work six or more innings.
That may be less of a problem in October, when off-days can help keep the bullpen fresh. But over the final two months of the regular season, it’s a different story.
The Braves’ relievers have already taken on a heavy load, and the club’s starters have gone six-plus innings only five times in the last 34 games. That’s the real pressure point.
Atlanta needs a playoff-caliber starter, yes. But it also needs to stop leaning so hard on the bullpen just to get to the finish line.
In Other News...
Braves Roster Crunch Is About To Claim Some Familiar Names
The Braves have come out of the All-Star break playing well, but the bigger roster story is what happens next as the trade deadline starts to reshape the 40-man picture. Atlanta is expected to make multiple moves, and with roster spots at a premium, a handful of familiar names are suddenly on shaky ground even before any outside additions arrive.
Dominic Smith, Elieser Hernndez, Joey Bart and Jorge Mateo all fit into that squeeze for different reasons, whether it is performance, fit or the simple math of players on the way back. Smith has at least given the Braves a recent homer to hang onto, but the return of Ronald Acua Jr. looms over that spot. Mateo, meanwhile, is facing a crowded path as the club sorts through infield options and waits on another rehab assignment to near completion. [Read more 🡒]
Braves Made A Brutal Pitching Decision Fans Wont Like
Elieser Hernndez had just given the Braves a useful lift, working three scoreless innings in a tie game and earning his first win since 2022, only to be pulled because of bullpen management needs. It was the kind of outing that can buy a pitcher some breathing room, especially for a club trying to piece together innings and keep its relief corps from getting overworked.
Instead, Atlanta moved in a different direction and brought Connor Thomas back to the major league roster, leaving Hernndezs immediate future unsettled. There is still a chance he stays in the organization if he clears waivers, but for now the Braves are choosing roster flexibility over the momentum he built on the mound. [Read more 🡒]
Braves Bullpen Anxiety Just Grew Around Robert Suarez
Atlantas bullpen has already been carrying a heavier load lately, and the strain is starting to show. With starters not consistently working deep into games, the relief corps has been asked to cover too many innings, and that has only sharpened the concern around a unit that has needed help for a while.
Robert Suarez was supposed to be part of the answer, but his absence has stretched on long enough to leave the Braves planning as if he is not coming back anytime soon. Manager Walt Weiss has made it clear the club is still waiting, and with the trade deadline approaching, Atlanta may have to look outside the organization for more late-inning help rather than keep hoping the current group can absorb the workload. [Read more 🡒]