The Braves will get rid of these three players who made the Opening Day roster

The unfortunate injuries the Atlanta Braves are facing, with Spencer Schwellenbach, A.J. Smith-Shawver, Spencer Strider, Ha-Seong Kim and Sean Murphy all on the Injured List to start the season, created chaos when trying to build the Opening Day roster. It's safe to say the big-league club in Atlanta looks far different than anyone expected, especially in the pitching department.

While some of the names on the IL for the Braves are going to be sidelined for an extended period of time, key pieces such as Murphy, Kim and Strider could be eyeing returns sooner rather than later. It is inevitable that some players on the current roster will have to go to make room for these returns. Let's take a look at those who should not get too comfortable in their Braves uniform.

1B/OF Dominic Smith

Dominic Smith is a great bench piece to have in the Majors, he's just honestly not the best fit in Atlanta. And it feels like he would be the first man out the door when one of the big names return from injury.

Smith's versatility between first base and the outfield is helpful enough in a pinch, but there's no need for it with this roster at full strength. Superstar Matt Olson takes great pride in playing every day and plans to do so again in 2026. Should another unfortunate injury occur that takes Olson out of the lineup, manager Walt Weiss would have better internale options to fill the first-base void than plugging in Smith.

Austin Riley could move over to first, with utility guys like 2026 newcomer Mauricio Dubon handling the hot corner. Eli White also has the ability to play the infield if Mike Yazstremski is needed to take over the primary left field duties. Smith has a spot somewhere for him in the big leagues as a sturdy lefty bat, it just won't be with the Braves for the entirety of this season.

RHP Bryce Elder

Bryce Elder has only ever known the Atlanta Braves organization. However, there is no doubt that he constant back and forth between the Minors and big leagues has to be taking a toll on him. Good thing he is used to being sent back to Triple-A, because it's likely to happen as soon as Atlanta lands some stronger starting pitching (whether that be from signing someone like Lucas Giolito or the return of Strider).

Elder had a strong first half of 2023, even making the All-Star Game, but ever since then the righty just can't seem to figure it out at the big-league level. To his credit, he consistently dominates in Triple-A, and on a certain level you have to respect his availability and willingness to soak up MLB innings when needed. But he can't seem to bring that level of success one step further, and time is running out.

Knowing the Braves, Elder will likely stay in the organization, just not on the MLB roster. Although there could be a slim possibility that, if Atlanta gets to the trade deadline and decides to be aggressive for once, Elder could be a great extra piece in the trade giving the upside he showed not too long ago.

LHP José Suarez

Left-hander José Suarez is in his first full season with the Braves. He did appear in seven games in 2025 with Atlanta, posting a sub-2.00 ERA across 19.1 innings of work. But while he's been listed as a possible fifth starter for the Braves to open the season, that's just not sustainable.

Suarez was great for Atlanta last season down the stretch, but let's also take into consideration that Atlanta was not playing meaningful baseball at the time — the pressure was very much off. Someone who has a career ERA over 5 after seven years in the Majors is not exactly a player contenders are looking to keep.

Once some injured pitchers (starters or relievers) recover, Suarez could be on his way out. Additionally, the rise of young talent in the Braves organization like Didier Fuentes could push Suarez out the door. Fuentes had a phenomenal spring and could very well take over in the back end of that rotation early this season.