New Pitching Approach: Too Little Too Late for the Atlanta Braves?

The Atlanta Braves will use a spot starter to begin their west coast road trip in Colorado on Friday.

Atlanta Braves starting pitcher Grant Holmes / Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

The Atlanta Braves have been in a downward spiral lately. They have lost their last five games, which includes a sweep via the Milwaukee Brewers. The starting pitching, which has been sound until recently, has struggled to say the least. 

In the most recent sweep against the Brewers, the rotation gave up 17 earned runs in three combined starts. Chris Sale only accounted for two of those in his outing, but then the bullpen allowed five earned runs after his exit. 

Still, the rotation wasn’t the biggest problem, as the offense was outscored, 34-12, in the Milwaukee sweep. 

On Friday, the Braves will attempt a new strategy to preserve their starting rotation’s arms but the question is wheter it’s too late?

The Braves bullpen gets the nod to start their road trip on Friday

Instead of a member of the team’s rotation, reliever Grant Holmes will start against the Colorado Rockies on Friday. Holmes will look to continue his strong season with the Braves in what will be his third start of this year. 

He has been solid in his past two outings, striking out 12 in 9.2 innings pitched.

Grant Holmes strikes out the side!#BravesCountry pic.twitter.com/VYhxJG2DmO

— Atlanta Braves (@Braves) July 30, 2024

Holmes is a quality spot starter and another resource to give the Atlanta pitching staff a break. However, it begs the question: Is it too little, too late to maintain the team’s arms for the postseason? 

‘Saving’ arms is the right move, postseason or not

Despite the Braves being out of the driver’s seat in the NL Wild Card race, there is still plenty of good reasons for manager Brian Snitker to occasionally work in spot starters out of the bullpen.

Specifically, with Charlie Morton and Max Fried set to be free agents this offseason, maintaining the longevity of young arms like Spencer Schwellenbach and even Reynaldo López (30 years old) is essential for the team's future in 2025.

After being snakebit by numerous injuries this season, it would behoove the club to do everything possible to maximize a healthy roster for 2025. That is not to say that this season is finished, but with just over a month and a half remaining, a little foresight could go a long way for the organization.