Atlanta Braves right-handers Ian Anderson, AJ Smith-Shawver and Bryce Elder are all candidates to start Game 1 of the wild-card series against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park on Tuesday. Anderson has some of the best postseason numbers of all time, but he hasn't pitched in the big leagues since 2022. The Braves may wait as long as possible to announce their starter against the Padres. Anderson has a 1.26 ERA in 35 2/3 innings pitched in the postseason, including a 1.04 WHIP with 40 strikeouts and 17 walks, but he'd be a pretty big dice role for Atlanta to kick off the three-game series. In 15 minor-league stops at four different levels this year, he had a 3.44 ERA and 1.28 WHIP with 68 strikeouts and 29 walks in 68 innings. Smith-Shawver made just one start for Atlanta this year and has six starts since debuting in 2023. Elder was an All-Star in 2023 but had an ERA over 6.00 in his 10 starts this year.

Atlanta Braves starting pitcher Bryce Elder was hit hard in Tuesday's loss versus the Milwaukee Brewers. The former All-Star only last 3 2/3 innings, in which he allowed eight hits, seven runs, two walks and struck out six. Besides for the strikeouts, Elder didn't offer anything for managers who were bold enough to start Elder. Brewers' shortstop Willy Adames was the biggest kryptonite for Elder, hitting a pair of two-run homers off the right-hander. Elder has spent 2024 between the big-league club and Triple-A Gwinnett this season, but is currently slated to face the Colorado Rockies in Coors Field on Sunday and should be avoided at all costs in that matchup.

With the Atlanta Braves placing pitcher Reynaldo Lopez (forearm) on the 15-day injured list, Bryce Elder was recalled from Triple-A Gwinnett on Monday. Elder has bounced around from the major league roster this season, where he has made 10 appearances with Triple-A Gwinnett and nine appearances with the Braves. The results haven't necessarily been there for the right-hander in the big leagues this year, as he owns a 5.67 ERA and 40 strikeouts across 46 innings pitched. With Lopez landing on the IL, Elder should be in line to take his spot in the rotation. However, he should only be added in deeper formats.

The Atlanta Braves recalled right-hander Bryce Elder from Triple-A Gwinnett on Tuesday and designated pitching prospect Darius Vines for assignment in a corresponding move. Elder will get the start on Tuesday in Milwaukee against the first-place Brewers. The 25-year-old could stick around in Atlanta's starting rotation for another turn with both Max Fried (forearm) and Reynaldo Lopez (forearm) injured, but fantasy managers will probably want to avoid Elder as a streamer on Tuesday night. He's gone 1-4 with a 6.35 ERA and 1.64 WHIP with 33 K's in 39 2/3 innings over eight starts for Atlanta in 2024. Vines, the team's No. 13 prospect per MLB Pipeline, gave up three runs (two earned) in just an inning of relief on Monday and holds an 8.56 ERA in the big leagues this year. The 26-year-old could certainly be claimed off waivers by another team.

The Atlanta Braves reinstated top prospect A.J. Smith-Shawver (oblique) from Triple-A Gwinnett on Tuesday and optioned right-hander Bryce Elder to Gwinnett in a corresponding move, according to a source. Smith-Shawver, who was scheduled to pitch for Gwinnett on Tuesday, will meet the team in Arizona and will presumably be part of their bullpen, according to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution's Justin Toscano. The 21-year-old allowed a run while striking out four in two innings in his only rehab start for High-A Rome, so he's not quite stretched out enough to make his seventh career start in the big leagues. Smith-Shawver tossed 4 1/3 shutout innings in late May against the Cubs in his only start of the year for the Braves. Elder gave up three earned runs in five innings with just one strikeout in a no-decision on Monday in a spot start against Arizona.

Atlanta Braves starting pitcher Bryce Elder has been recalled to make the start against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Monday. The Braves had to make a quick decision with Chris Sale having his start pushed back. Elder has struggled to the tune of a 5.76 ERA across six starts with the Braves this season. Fantasy managers should be able to find a better streaming option.

The Atlanta Braves optioned right-hander Bryce Elder to Triple-A Gwinnett on Thursday after he made a spot start for the team during their doubleheader against the St. Louis Cardinals on Wednesday. In his sixth start of the year for Atlanta on Wednesday in Game 2, Elder was hit with a tough-luck loss (his third of the year) after posting a quality start with two earned runs allowed on four hits, no walks and four striking in six innings pitched. It was definitely a nice bounce-back performance after he allowed seven runs (six earned) on a season-high nine hits in just three innings in his previous start on May 19 against the San Diego Padres. We'll probably see the 25-year-old again in 2024 in Atlanta's rotation. In his six starts in 2024, Elder has gone 1-3 with a bloated 5.76 ERA and 1.68 WHIP with 23 strikeouts and 11 walks in 29 2/3 frames.

Atlanta Braves starting pitcher Bryce Elder came out strong in Monday's 3-0 win against the Miami Marlins. Elder struck out four and allowed eight hits while allowing no runs in 6 innings pitched in his first start of the season. The 24-year-old started three games in the minors this season and recorded a 3.31 ERA while allowing 14 hits (one homer), six runs, five walks and 18 strikeouts in 16 1/3 innings pitched. He makes for a solid streaming option and a great roster spot if he can solidify his position in the starting rotation for Atlanta.

Atlanta Braves starting pitcher Bryce Elder will start Monday's game against the Miami Marlins. Elder is coming up to give the rest of the Braves rotation some rest, but if he pitches well he could stick around as the fifth starter. The 24-year-old had a good season in 2023, going 12-4 with a 3.81 ERA and 1.28 WHIP over 174 IP. He has also looked good in his three minor league starts this season, pitching to a 3.31 ERA and 1.16 WHIP with 18 strikeouts in 16 IP. Elder's solid numbers make him a good streaming option on Monday, and if he were to stay in the majors he could stick around on fantasy teams in need of pitching help.

With right-hander Spencer Strider (elbow) out, next up from Triple-A Gwinnett for spot-start duty could be Atlanta Braves right-hander Bryce Elder, who was an All-Star in 2023 before fading in the second half in his first full season in the big leagues. Another option is left-hander Dylan Dodd, who started in the Braves' rotation last year before struggling and being sent to Gwinnett. Elder has a 2.61 ERA, 1.06 WHIP and a .211 opponents' average in his first two starts at Triple-A with 11 strikeouts, three walks and a homer allowed in 10 1/3 innings. Dodd had a 1.54 ER with 12 K's in 11 2/3 innings before he was hit hard on Thursday at Gwinnett. Darius Vines is another option. Huascar Ynoa and top prospect AJ Smith-Shawver have struggled in their first couple of Triple-A outings this year.

The Atlanta Braves have demoted starting pitching Bryce Elder to Triple-A Gwinnett. The 24-year-old was an All-Star in 2023 with a 3.81 ERA and 12-4 record over 31 starts, but the underlying stats suggested he had luck on his side and is due for regression. A rough Grapefruit League didn't do him any favors as he had a 8.25 ERA in 12 innings. The Braves have plenty of starting pitching depth, but Elder would likely be one of the first names called if someone struggles or an injury occurs. He can be ignored in all formats at the moment.

The Atlanta Braves final rotation spot is currently down to Reynaldo Lopez and Bryce Elder, per MLB.com's Mark Bowman. AJ Smith-Shawver put forth an impressive spring but was optioned to Triple-A Gwinnett on Monday. Lopez has looked excellent this spring, while Elder has yielded poor results. Elder put forth a decent 2023 season for the Braves over 31 starts, while Lopez hasn't made multiple starts in a season since 2021. Either way, whichever pitcher earns the spot will hold at least steaming appeal in fantasy leagues given the strong lineup behind them.

Atlanta Braves general manager Alex Anthopoulos said last weekend that right-hander Bryce Elder will battle Reynaldo Lopez, A.J. Smith-Shawver and others for the fifth spot in the starting rotation in spring training. Lopez could be stretched out in camp to prepare for the possibility of being used as a starter at some point. Chris Sale's presence creates the opportunity for Lopez to be used as a reliever, a role in which he's thrived. Max Fried, Spencer Strider, Charlie Morton are the other members of Atlanta's current rotation heading into the 2024 campaign. The 24-year-old Elder will still be the favorite for the fifth rotation spot out of spring training, but if his second-half struggles from 2023 remain early on, he could be out of a starting job quickly. Overall in 31 starts last season, Elder went 12-4 with a 3.81 ERA, 1.28 WHIP and 128 strikeouts in 174 2/3 innings.

Atlanta Braves right-hander Bryce Elder will start Game 3 of the National League Division Series on Wednesday in Philadelphia against the Phillies. Elder gets the nod over rookie AJ Smith-Shawver in a pivotal game on the road against the division-rival Phillies. The 24-year-old wasn't as good in the second half of the regular season but overall was solid with a 3.81 ERA (4.42 FIP), 1.28 WHIP, 63 walks and 128 strikeouts in 174 2/3 innings over 31 starts in his second MLB season. This will be Elder's first career postseason appearance. He wasn't very good to close out the year, so fantasy managers should expect him to have a pretty short leash if he struggles out of the gates. In his two starts against the Phils this year, Elder allowed four earned runs while walking seven and striking out six in 10 2/3 innings in two no-decisions.

Atlanta Braves starting pitcher Bryce Elder is slated to pitch in an intrasquad game on Thursday, which could set him up to start Game 3 of the NLDS against the Philadelphia Phillies next Wednesday. Spencer Strider will take the ball for Saturday's series opener and Max Fried (finger) should presumably toe the rubber for Game 2 on Monday, as long as his blister heals in time. The Braves hope to get in the postseason the version of Elder that showed up during 11 starts to begin the year. The first-time All-Star yielded a 1.92 ERA through his initial 65 2/3 innings pitched before closing the year with a 4.95 ERA over his proceeding 20 starts (109 IP).

Atlanta Braves starting pitcher Bryce Elder is getting the nod for Thursday's game against Bailey Falter and the Pittsburgh Pirates. The 24-year-old struggled his last time out, surrendering five earned runs over 4 1/3 innings, and things haven't gone well in the second half overall, as he owns a 5.85 ERA over 20 innings. Still, Elder is having a solid campaign, pitching to a 3.43 ERA, 1.23 WHIP, and 17.6% strikeout rate with eight wins over 22 starts. The Pirates have little firepower against right-handers (.702 OPS), so fantasy managers in most formats can feel comfortable starting the sophomore.

Atlanta Braves starting pitcher Bryce Elder was stellar Thursday, racking up six strikeouts over seven shutout innings in a 5-1 win over the Philadelphia Phillies. Unfortunately, the Braves couldn't get any runs off Aaron Nola, so Elder had to settle for a no-decision. The latter allowed just three hits and two walks, lowering his ERA to 2.40 and his WHIP to 1.11 in the process. The 24-year-old breakout doesn't blow hitters away with his stuff, but he generates weak contact and doesn't walk a ton of batters. It is unlikely he will continue to pitch like an ace, but he can be a solid source of wins, ERA, and WHIP, and therefore should be rostered in all formats.

Atlanta Braves pitcher Bryce Elder continues to produce at the big-league level after originally being promoted following the arm injury to Braves ace Max Fried. The 23-year-old owns a stellar 1.94 ERA on the season and while his peripherals are not nearly as good, he still sports a healthy 3.57 FIP, 3.95 SIERA, and 13.3% K-BB%. Elder doesn't miss many bats with a 20.7% K% on the season but he has also walked just 7.4% of the batters he has faced. Elder debuted last season with 54 innings of work while he now owns a 2.60 ERA across 18 appearances (17 starts) spanning 100 1/3 innings of work in the bigs. He is scheduled to take on the Seattle Mariners to open up a three-game weekend set Friday in Atlanta.

The Atlanta Braves officially placed left-hander Max Fried (hamstring) on the 15-day injured list on Tuesday with a strained left hamstring and recalled right-hander Bryce Elder from Triple-A Gwinnett in a corresponding move. Fried's IL placement was backdated to April 1. The 29-year-old southpaw injured his hamstring on Opening Day last Thursday, although he's expected to miss only two turns through the starting rotation, so fantasy managers must keep Atlanta's ace stashed in all formats. Elder is expected to make his first start of the season for the Braves on Wednesday against the St. Louis Cardinals, where he'll be a shaky streamer in DFS and deeper leagues. Elder, 23, won't overpower hitters and relies on getting ground-ball outs.

Atlanta Braves starting pitchers Ian Anderson and Bryce Elder are options to start next Wednesday against the St. Louis Cardinals. Braves managers Brian Snitker said Max Fried will definitely miss the start against the Cards. Kyle Wright isn't eligible to come off the IL until April 11, so he's not an option. With Wright due back shortly, Anderson or Elder may only get one start this time around. It's hard to say either has streaming potential against a good Cardinals lineup, but both pitchers have had success in the majors. You could do worse if you're in dire need.