3 Braves who won’t be on the roster by May 1
By John Buhler
MLB rosters will shrink here shortly and these three Atlanta Braves could be gone by May 1.
The Atlanta Braves are just like every team in baseball having to navigate a short spring training.
The defending World Series champions are the favorites to win the NL East once again. They have an incredibly deep roster, but repeating is easier said than done. While Atlanta has plenty of time to find that special chemistry that finally got them over the top after 26 years of failure, not every player on the roster will be with the team by May 1. Guys will be sent down, or flat-out released.
Once the big-league rosters are required to be trimmed in short order, here are three Braves who could be losing their jobs in Atlanta.
Atlanta Braves: 3 players who will not be on the big-league roster come May 1
Scouting Report. LHP. 3. Pick Analysis. Atlanta Braves. Tucker Davidson. player. 17
Tucker Davidson may lose the sixth starting rotation spot once the roster shrinks
It may only be temporary, but southpaw Tucker Davidson is the likeliest member of the Braves’ expanded rotation that gets sent down once the rosters shrink. Atlanta is rolling with a six-man rotation for the time being to help aid in Charlie Morton and to some degree Huascar Ynoa’s reinsertion into it. Davidson struggled mightily in mop-up due on Monday night vs. Washington.
Initially, Davidson was to be Tuesday’s starter vs. the Nationals, but had to enter the game after Ynoa struggled and Spencer Strider ran out of gas in long relief. Davidson gave up five hits and five earned runs in the 16 batters he faced over 2.2 innings. It may not have been fair for him to be called out of the bullpen, but Atlanta is more likely to give Ynoa the doubt over him in two weeks.
With Morton, Max Fried and Ian Anderson being locks to remain on the rotation, the battle for the last two spots are between Davidson, Ynoa and Kyle Wright. Since the postseason, Wright has returned to Vanderbilt ace pitcher form and should remain the fourth starter. Look for whoever pitches better over the next two weeks or so between Davidson and Ynoa to remain with Atlanta.
Being a lefty helps Davidson, but keep in mind Kyle Muller almost made the Opening Day roster.