Atlanta Braves Shuffle The Rotation

After going down in his Opening Day start to a strained hamstring, Atlanta Braves' ace Max Fried has officially been placed on the injured list. Coming up to start in his spot will be youngster Bryce Elder. 

News: The Braves officially placed Max Fried on the 15-day injured list, backdated to April 1. They recalled Bryce Elder, who will presumably start Wednesday’s game here in STL.

— Justin Toscano (@JustinCToscano) April 4, 2023

The 23-year-old Elder will likely make his season debut on Wednesday. He performed quite well in a 2022 trial, posting a 3.17 ERA in 10 appearances (nine starts), with a 1.24 WHIP.

Elder was hoping to break camp with the Braves back in spring training, but he posted a 6.17 ERA, giving up three home runs in 11.2 innings, allowing two highly-regarded prospects Jared Shuster and Dylan Dodd to make the trip north instead. 

Across three minor league seasons, Elder has a 3.55 ERA, and has struck out 9.3 batters per nine. 

Fried's IL stint was backdated to April 1st, so it's possible they'll only have to fill his spot in the rotation twice before he's able to return on April 16th. 

Photo: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports