SEATTLE -- Now that Martín Pérez has once again shown he can be a dependable starter, there’s further reason to ask some questions about the Braves’ rotation.
Will JR Ritchie show better command his next time out and increase the likelihood of remaining within Atlanta’s rotation?
Will Spencer Strider’s next start create further reason to believe his shaky season debut was influenced by Coors Field’s Rocky Mountain air?
Will Grant Holmes be used as a starter, reliever or swingman? Well, he will likely be available out of the bullpen during this weekend’s series (Friday-Sunday) against the Dodgers. Whether he is needed could determine if he’s used as a starter or a reliever during next week’s series against the Cubs (starting Tuesday) at Truist Park.
Got it?
Braves manager Walt Weiss provided some thoughts about the fluidity of his rotation after a 3-1 loss to the Mariners on Wednesday afternoon at T-Mobile Park. Atlanta lost two of three in Seattle to suffer its first series loss of the season. The club now heads to Dodger Stadium having won four of its first six games of this nine-game trip.
Going forward, will the Braves mix-and-match and determine the makeup of their rotation on a series-to-series basis? They are currently carrying six starting options in Chris Sale, Bryce Elder, Strider, Pérez, Holmes and Ritchie. This doesn’t even include current relievers Reynaldo López and Didier Fuentes, who stretched his arm back out as he threw 47 pitches over Wednesday’s final two innings.
“Whether it's based on matchups or based on giving guys extra days of rest or that type of thing, we have some nice options,” Weiss said.
Just like there is no reason to worry about an Atlanta offense that has tallied an MLB-best 213 runs, the Braves can still feel good about their starting pitchers, who rank fourth in the Majors with a 3.22 ERA. There’s just some uncertainty how the rotation will rotate.
Atlanta’s rotation decisions have been made on a day-to-day or even an hour-to-hour basis. Pérez was available to work as a long reliever behind starter Elder on Tuesday. But when Pérez wasn’t used, he replaced Holmes as Wednesday’s scheduled starter.
Why? Well, the Braves preferred having a left-handed starter face the Mariners in this series finale. But you can also argue that Pérez has looked like a better starter than Holmes thus far.
Even after allowing the Mariners two runs over 5 2/3 innings on Wednesday, Pérez has a 2.36 ERA in five starts. He has completed at least five innings in each of those five outings and opponents have hit just 1.94 against him.
Holmes had a 3.62 ERA in the five starts he made before allowing five first-inning runs during a five-inning effort against the Rockies on Friday. Like Strider, Holmes should get a Coors Field pass and credit for limiting Colorado to one run over his final four innings.
So, are the Braves going with a six-man rotation? Kinda. But it won’t work like a traditional rotation.
Elder wants to start once every five days. So, he’ll continue to do so whenever possible. There’s no reason to mess with what has worked with the right-hander, who has a 2.02 ERA through eight starts and a 2.40 ERA in his past 15 starts going back to Aug. 24, 2025.
Chris Sale (Friday), Strider (Saturday) and Elder (Sunday) will serve as Atlanta’s starters during this weekend’s series at Dodger Stadium. Holmes will be in that swingman role, not knowing whether his next appearance will come as a starter or reliever.
Like Holmes, Ritchie will go more than a week between starts. The 22-year-old rookie issued six walks, including two very costly ones in the sixth inning of Monday’s loss to the Mariners. His next chance to start would be Tuesday against the Cubs.
Pérez could also start Tuesday with an extra day of rest. And Holmes would be well rested if he doesn’t come out of the bullpen this weekend.
As Pérez has learned a few times this season, Braves starters just have to be ready whenever their name is called.
“I just have to be ready,” Pérez said. “My situation is what it is. I just have to accept it and be ready for any situation.”