No team has been more disappointing so far in the 2024 MLB season than the Atlanta Braves. The Braves began the year with World Series aspirations, but enter Sunday's series finale against the Tampa Bay Rays with a 4-10 record. They sit in sole possession of last place in the NL East, and have the third-worst record in the majors.
Injuries undoubtedly have something to do with the team's slow start, but the Braves simply have to play better. Some of the latest news items involving the team should give fans reason to believe that better times are ahead, but things are still far from perfect in Atlanta.
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Braves News: Decision to demote AJ Smith-Shawver is tough to justify
Spencer Strider's upcoming return meant that the Braves were going to have to demote a member of their rotation either to the bullpen or to the Minor Leagues. Chris Sale and Spencer Schwellenbach were obviously safe, but any of Grant Holmes, AJ Smith-Shawver or Bryce Elder was going to have to be removed to squeeze Strider in.
In a fairly shocking move, the Braves elected to send Smith-Shawver down to Triple-A on Sunday, confirming that both Holmes and Elder will remain in the rotation — at least for now.
When Spencer Strider returns, the Braves have a decision. They seemingly already made it by optioning AJ Smith-Shawver and keeping Bryce Elder in the majors. Thought they also could’ve kept both in the rotation and moved Grant Holmes to the bullpen, which could use him.
— Justin Toscano (@JustinCToscano) April 13, 2025
Holmes, a pitcher who looked great last season for the Braves and who is set to start Atlanta's game on Monday, was never likely to be removed from the rotation, but it is surprising to see the Braves go with Elder instead of Smith-Shawver.
Elder has more MLB success, but he has struggled mightily since making the All-Star team in 2023. In fact, since the second half of the 2023 campaign, Elder's 5.82 ERA ranks 153rd out of 156 pitchers with at least 120 innings of work. He has been one of the worst pitchers in the league for a prolonged stretch, and yet, the Braves are inexplicably sticking with him.
Smith-Shawver is inexperienced and he does not have the best command of his stuff, but his results, albeit in a much smaller sample, have been much better than Elder's. The Braves sent Smith-Shawver down to the Minor Leagues after he allowed just two runs in five innings against the Tampa Bay Rays with seven strikeouts.
Is Smith-Shawver a good MLB pitcher? That's really hard to answer considering he only has 10 regular-season appearances under his belt. With that being said, though, we know Elder is not good enough to be in Atlanta's rotation, so it's pretty shocking to see the Braves bypass the opportunity to give one of their former top prospects some run at the MLB level when the other option is Elder. That's something Braves fans would love to hear an explanation on.
Braves News: Ozzie Albies hopes comeback win sparks Atlanta run
Saturday's game was an emotional roller coaster for Braves fans, to say the least. It appeared as if Atlanta was headed towards another frustrating loss, trailing 3-1 after seven innings before Ozzie Albies and Sean Murphy hit back-to-back home runs to tie the game in the eighth. The next inning saw Michael Harris II give the Braves the lead with a two-run home run. Raisel Iglesias allowed the Rays to get one back in the bottom of the ninth, but he was eventually able to shut the door. The Braves won the game, 5-4, stealing it from the Rays.
Winning a game is one thing, but stealing it is another. The Braves came back in a game that felt decided for much of the day to snatch victories from the jaws of defeat. It was the kind of win Albies hopes will carry into a nice run for Atlanta.
“A day like this can change everything, you know? Bring more positivity and more positive energy for us to come back tomorrow and go for another win.” — Ozzie Albies after the #Braves picked up their first late-innings comeback win and first road win https://t.co/pz2ymL8lz3
— David O'Brien (@DOBrienATL) April 13, 2025
Albies is preaching positivity and positive energy. When you're 4-10, that's really all you can do. At this point, the Braves should simply be looking to try and win two in a row — something they haven't done all year.
They have a long way to go to fully recover from their bad start, but a win like this can jumpstart any team. For the Braves to go on that run Albies wants to see them go on, he is going to have to step his game up. He did so on Saturday, and hopefully that can sustain.
Braves News: It sure sounds like Spencer Strider's next start will be for Atlanta
As fun as Saturday's game was, the real energizer bunny for the Braves might come in the form of Spencer Strider, who is nearing his return from injury. Strider has made three dominant starts for Triple-A Gwinnett, and with the Braves sending Smith-Shawver down, it feels as if it's only a matter of when, not if, Strider will be making his return to Atlanta's rotation. According to Mark Bowman of MLB.com, it's looking like his return will be on Wednesday in Toronto.
Strider is slated to start Wednesday's game in Toronto. The Braves have TBA listed. But we all know that means The Bad Ass
— Mark Bowman (@mlbbowman) April 13, 2025
The Braves have Holmes slated to start the series opener against the Blue Jays and Schwellenbach to start the second game. Instead of having Elder start the series finale, the Braves are likely going to push him back to instead insert Strider into that spot.
When healthy, Strider is among the best pitchers on the planet. He might be the most dominant strikeout artist in the world; he's that talented. Pitching isn't as much of a problem as hitting in Atlanta right now even with their injuries, but Strider is the kind of pitcher who can win a game for you singlehandedly. His return should provide a major spark to a team in dire need of one.