Braves lay the hammer down on Bryce Elder after latest implosion

The Atlanta Braves haven't had the greatest stretch of games as of late. Entering Sunday, they had lost two consecutive games. Facing off against the San Diego Padres, the Braves leaned upon Bryce Elder for the start, and it didn't pan out. Elder surrendered seven runs (six earned) on nine hits in three innings of work. The Braves went on to lose 9-1, extending their losing streak to three games.

On Monday, Atlanta's losing streak extended to four after a 6-5 loss. After the first game of the doubleheader, the Braves decided they had enough of Elder, optioning him to Triple-A and bringing up Darius Vines as a corresponding move.

Braves demote Bryce Elder after latest bad outing

The Braves decided they had seen enough of Elder and instead sent him back down to Triple-A Gwinnett.

Elder had a solid start to the campaign, where he recorded a 1.50 ERA and six strikeouts in 12.0 innings in two starts against the Miami Marlins (Apr. 22) and Cleveland Guardians (Apr. 28). But once May rolled around, Elder went downhill.

During his May 4 start against the Los Angeles Dodgers, Elder allowed seven earned runs on seven hits (including three home runs) while striking out four batters and issuing four walks in 3.1 innings. The Braves lost 11-2, and Elder was assessed his first loss of the season.

Facing the rival New York Mets on May 12, Elder had a better outing, recording six strikeouts and zero walks while allowing two earned runs on two hits. The Mets won 4-3, but Elder wasn't a factor in the decision.

Then, the disaster against the Padres happened on Sunday night. Overall, Elder owns a 6.46 ERA, a 1.94 WHIP, and a 1-2 win-loss record.

Now, Vines is back up with the Braves for the first time since Apr. 21. According to Grant McAuley of 92.9 The Game, Vines could either get the start on Thursday against the Chicago Cubs or could serve as "the long man."

Vines recorded a 4.66 ERA, a 1.45 WHIP, a 0-1 win-loss record, six strikeouts, and three walks in 9.2 innings (two starts). In six starts for Triple-A Gwinett, Vines recorded a 4.58 ERA, a 1.25 WHIP, 30 strikeouts, and 10 walks in 35.1 innings.

With Elder struggling this month, the Braves decided to send him down to Triple-A and called up Vines for another shot.