The Atlanta Braves are once again massively underperforming, currently four games below .500 and a distant fourth place in the NL East. All offseason, the narrative was "well, it can't get any worse!" And, well, apparently it can at least feel just as bad.
Injuries have played a significant factor in these struggles, much to the chagrin of a tortured fanbase, but the Braves also just aren't swinging the bats like they used to. This lineup has lost its luster, and while Ronald Acuña's return has provided a helpful shot in the arm, there are eight other slots in the lineup. He can't swing at every pitch.
Meanwhile, the rotation is in shambles. Spencer Strider only has three starts under his belt and is still getting back up to speed. Reynaldo López remains on the IL, while A.J. Smith-Shawver is done for the rest of this season (and probably a good chunk of next season) with a torn UCL. That leaves Atlanta stuck with Grant Holmes (who looks good, to be fair) and Bryce Elder (who looks... aggressively mediocre).
Absent external options, these MLB call-ups could be next on the docket for a Braves team desperate to turn things around.
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Nacho Alvarez Jr. figures to rejoin the MLB roster once he's healthy
Nacho Alvarez Jr., Atlanta's 22-year-old infielder, has been on the 60-day IL working his way back from a wrist injury. He made his debut last season, however, notching three hits in 30 at-bats with a -0.5 WAR. Not great numbers, but also way too small a sample size for meaningful takeaways, especially at his age.
Now Atlanta's No. 4 prospect in ESPN's rankings, scouting expert Kiley McDaniel fully expects Alvarez on the big-league roster once he receives a clean bill of health.
"Alvarez debuted last year, but he'll likely get a look once he's healthy," he writes.
Atlanta's infield dynamics have shifted all season, with Nick Allen winning the shortstop job over the since-DFA'd Orlando Arcia. There's room for Alvarez to sneak into the middle infield mix, and even if he can't, he might be worth a look in a sporadic bench role, just to test the waters on a prospect who has already accrued (a very small amount of) MLB reps.
Braves could turn to Hurston Waldrep as long relief option
Once Atlanta's top prospect, billed as a future star and the Braves' next homegrown ace, Waldrep has fallen all the way to No. 10 with a poor season in Gwinnett. The tall righty is still only 23, but Waldrep has a 5.32 ERA and 1.64 WHIP through 10 starts with the Stripers this season. That just isn't great, especially when his brief appearance at the big-league level in 2024 was a complete trainwreck.
Despite the decline of his production and his overall reputation, Waldrep is the most experienced and "MLB-ready" of Atlanta's pitching prospects, and we know Atlanta needs help on the mound. That is why McDaniel could foresee Waldrep getting that call-up soon, too.
"Waldrep also debuted last year and could have another promotion as an off-speed-focused relief arm," he writes.
This feels destined to backfire, but perhaps moving Waldrep to a less demanding bullpen role can help him amp up his stuff and settle into a better frame of mind. Change can be a good thing, and Waldrep clearly does not have what it takes to start MLB games right now. Shunting top prospects into a bullpen role is generally frowned upon, but in this unique scenario, it could benefit everyone involved — especially with Raisel Inglesias and Atlanta's late-relief crew struggling to get by.