The Braves have a roster squeeze coming, and the way they appear to be handling it is a little unusual.
AJ Smith-Shawver is expected back on the big league roster soon, and the obvious assumption for a while was that he would return as a starter. But after Walt Weiss backed Grant Holmes and the Braves manager made other comments in that same vein, it now looks possible that Smith-Shawver could be sent to the bullpen instead.
That would be a strange turn. Atlanta may want to protect Smith-Shawver’s innings after a major injury, but there are cleaner ways to do that than shifting him out of the rotation after spending so much of the season stretching him back out as a starter.
Still, there is a route that could let the Braves keep Smith-Shawver built up for starts later while also addressing the Holmes issue.
The concept is simple: pair Smith-Shawver and Holmes together in a fixed setup. Holmes would take the first three innings, and then Atlanta would pull him no matter how effective he looked and turn the game over to Smith-Shawver, who would go as deep as he could.
That idea is not without complications. The biggest one is obvious - if Holmes is capped at three innings, the bullpen is effectively short an arm on the days he starts.
But Holmes would essentially function as a long reliever, which could make him available on some non-start days, depending on how recently he threw. There could also be days when Smith-Shawver is available in a limited capacity, whether because he gets pulled early for some reason or because Atlanta decides to stay away from him in a blowout.
It is a tricky setup, but one that could make sense if the goal is to preserve the bullpen while keeping both pitchers useful. The catch is that it depends on Holmes and Smith-Shawver covering enough innings in their outings to make the whole thing worthwhile.
The more likely outcome, though, is simpler: the Braves stick with Holmes in the rotation and use Smith-Shawver in a standard bullpen role. Whether Atlanta can make that work the way it wants is another matter entirely.
In Other News...
Bryce Elder's Latest Issue Puts Braves Rotation In A Tough Spot
Bryce Elder gave the Braves another steady outing, working six innings and allowing one run with five strikeouts even as manager Walt Weiss said the right-hander was dealing with a knee injury. It was the latest reminder of why Elder has mattered so much to Atlantas rotation this season, with the righty logging a 3.92 ERA over 24 starts and giving the club dependable innings when it has needed them most.
Now the Braves have a decision to make, and it could affect the rest of the pitching staff. They are trying to figure out how best to handle Elders knee issue, with a 15-day injured list move or a rotation adjustment both on the table, and any shuffle could open the door for AJ Smith-Shawver to slide into a spot. [Read more 🡒]
Braves Just Sent A Telling Lineup Message With Mauricio Dubon
The Braves lineup card offered a notable hint Friday, with Mauricio Dubon set to start in left field and hit fifth. It is the kind of move that stands out because it places a versatile role player in a prominent spot, and it comes as the club continues sorting through recent performance trends for several regulars, including Mike Yastrzemski and Austin Riley, while also peeking at the matchup against Twins right-hander Bailey Ober.
There is some extra texture in the pitcher-batter history too, though the numbers come with the usual caution about tiny samples and are mostly there for amusement. Martin Perez also factors into the broader scouting picture, but the bigger takeaway for Atlanta is the same one the batting order suggests: Dubon is in a position to matter, and the way the Braves are aligning pieces around him says plenty about how they are viewing this game. [Read more 🡒]