3 Atlanta Braves who will make the September roster, but don’t deserve it

Braves who shouldn't be on September roster: Colin McHugh

By no means is Colin McHugh a bad pitcher, but he's among the weakest links in the Atlanta Braves bullpen right now. McHugh has an ERA of 4.50 in his last 15 appearances, and 4.20 in his last 30 appearances. A solid start to the season won't make up for those ineffective numbers, either.

Come September, the Braves will need pitchers they can rely on in the postseason. Assuming A.J. Smith-Shawver comes back strong from his MiLB IL stint, or if Atlanta would prefer to use Kyle Wright or Michael Soroka in a bullpen role, it could mean the end of McHugh in a Braves uniform.

In his last outing against the San Francisco Giants on Aug. 27, McHugh made manager Brian Snitker look bad, giving up four earned runs in just over an inning pitched.

More importantly, though, the aspect of parting with McHugh or stashing him in case of injury is a compliment to the arms Atlanta has in its minor-league system. Soroka and Smith-Shawver, if healthy, are coming. Wright is just a few outings away from returning to the bigs in some capacity, and he won 20 games last season.

Baseball is a tough business some times, and an elite team like the Braves should demand perfection from its bullpen.