The Atlanta Braves have a decision to make involving their starting rotation.
The Atlanta Braves have been searching for reliable arms in the starting rotation for nearly all of June after right-hander Spencer Strider went down with a right arm injury.
Originally, rookie right-hander JR Ritchie got the call, but after two starts he was optioned back to the minor leagues, with Reynaldo Lopez getting the nod in the rotation instead.
However, Lopez may not be a long-term solution there. He has operated primarily as a relief pitcher over the last two months and is not yet fully built up, going just three innings in Friday's start against the San Francisco Giants, though he was productive, allowing just one run.
Another player who appeared in Friday's game in relief, though he has operated as a starter in the past, is right-hander Hurston Waldrep. He came in and tossed two scoreless innings with three strikeouts.
Waldrep is one of Atlanta's most promising young arms. Last year he made nine starts and posted an ERA under 3.00, proving he is fully capable of being a starter again.
However, he underwent right elbow surgery during spring training, so the Braves have been cautious with him and used him out of the bullpen as he has built back up. Manager Walt Weiss acknowledged he has a decision to make after Friday's game.
"Weiss said they don't want to decondition Waldrep as a starter. It also feels like Lopez will get another start. So, barring an unexpected decision to move Holmes to the pen or to go to a six-man rotation, I'm guessing Waldrep will go back down to make additional starts," reported Mark Bowman of MLB.com.
Grant Holmes could be moved to the bullpen to clear a spot so Weiss does not have to choose between Lopez and Waldrep. However, Holmes has been one of the more reliable arms in the rotation this year with a 4.17 ERA across 15 starts, so that seems unlikely.
The next option would be moving Lopez back to the bullpen in favor of Waldrep, but Lopez has only made one start and is still building back up, which complicates that path. That really leaves two options: a six-man rotation or sending Waldrep back to the minor leagues to continue starting there.
It is a good problem to have for a team with Atlanta's depth, but it will become much more complicated as more arms begin returning from the injured list.
