The Atlanta Braves picked up another win on Monday night, and they took advantage of a strong Bryce Elder performance to get there. The starter went six scoreless innings and struck out five, but he showed signs of continuing his success from the end of 2025 when he allowed three runs or less over at least six innings dating back to August 24th.
"It was the best version of him," Mike Johnson said. "This is the version you got when he was an All-Star three years ago, of him coming in and keeping things down in the zone and keeping hitters off balance. He's not overpowering, but I thought it was really important for him to get off to a good start."
There was a lot of justifiable concern about the depth of the starting pitching after a swath of injuries in spring training, but Elder being a difference-maker in the fourth starter role could be a catalyst for this team in the early parts of the season. He, along with Chris Sale, Reynaldo López, and Grant Holmes, have done their job over the first four games of the year.
