3 Braves that must rise to occasion after injuries to stars

Dylan Dodd needs to be more consistent with Max Fried out for the Braves

One of the best stories of Spring Training was 24-year-old Dylan Dodd competing for the fifth starter spot. However, with injuries in the pitching staff, he got his shot to come in and make an impact early in the season.

Dodd’s first career start for the Braves was everything the club could’ve ever asked for. The rookie went five innings on the road at Busch Stadium against the Cardinals as he allowed just six hits and one earned run with no walks and three strikeouts to his credit. Unfortunately, the encore against the Padres was the opposite end of the spectrum, giving up seven earned runs on 10 hits and a walk over 4.1 innings.

With Fried currently out of the rotation, it’s undoubtedly on the entirety of the Braves pitching staff to step up and deliver good performances. However, Dodd might be the most crucial part of that equation.

No, this isn’t saying that the rookie needs to be the ace of the staff with Fried out — instead, it’s just about displaying consistency and putting Atlanta in spots to win while their actual ace is recovering. He doesn’t need to deliver lights-out outings, but he can’t get blown up like he did at home against San Diego. Getting solid starts from Dodd, especially with the loaded lineup aiding the cause, would be huge until they get a shutdown stud like Fried back on the mound.