What was supposed to be a starting rotation that included Chris Sale, Spencer Strider, Spencer Schwellenbach, Reynaldo Lopez, and either AJ Smith-Shawver or Grant Holmes is down to just Spencer Strider and Grant Holmes after the Braves found out they’ll be without Schwellenbach until September after he suffered a small fracture in his pitching elbow.
Schwellenbach and Sale, who is also expected to return from the injured list sometime in September, will be back to help the Braves potentially make a final push towards the playoffs, and Lopez could even return in a possible bullpen role as well.
However, in the mean time Atlanta will need some reinforcements for their starting rotation, and our very own Braves insider and reporter Grant McAuley told The Morning Shift earlier today that “bolstering the starting rotation” is the most important thing General Manager Alex Anthopoulos and the Braves can look to do before the July 31st trade deadline.
“I don’t think there’s anything more important for this club right now than bolstering the starting rotation” is what Grant said when asked what pieces he thinks GM Alex Anthopoulos is currently looking for to add to the Braves team right now.
McAuley also added that Anthopoulos probably needs to add two starting pitchers to this decimated rotation if the Braves want to make a legit push for the postseason.
With the expanded Wild Card playoffs less teams are selling and that means there are less players to trade for, so AA will have his work cut out for him, but Anthopoulos did rebuild Atlanta’s outfield in 2021, and all three of those players were major contributors to the Braves winning the World Series that year, so Alex is more than capable of slightly rebuilding this Braves starting pitching rotation and giving Brian Snitker the tools he needs to get this team to the playoffs.