Atlanta Braves manager Walt Weiss shared the plan for Bryce Elder and Martin Perez.
The Atlanta Braves will be without two rotation options when they open the National League Division Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Saturday. As a result, they will open Game 1 with a bullpen game at Dodgers Stadium.
Manager Walt Weiss spoke with reporters on Friday and confirmed that Bryce Elder and Martin Perez will not be on the active roster for the series. Weiss added the plan for both of them is to return if Atlanta advances to the NLCS to take on either the Milwaukee Brewers or San Diego Padres, according to Harrison Smajovits of Braves On SI.
Elder was hoping to return for this round after undergoing arthroscopic surgery on his right knee on September 8th. Unfortunately, that will not be the case.
The 27-year-old right-hander finished the regular season 8-8 with a 4.11 ERA and 121 strikeouts over 149 innings. He threw a batting practice session on September 28th, but the NLDS came too soon for him to be cleared.
Perez is dealing with a different situation. The 35-year-old veteran left-hander went on the 15-day injured list September 24th with lower back inflammation.
He finished the regular season 9-9 with a 3.04 ERA and 102 strikeouts over 142 innings. He was eligible to return during the NLDS, but Atlanta decided not to include him on the roster. That means Perez is clearly still not at full strength.
That leaves the Braves with less pitching depth heading into a series against a scary Dodgers lineup. Los Angeles finished 100-62 and not only won the NL West, but they also edged past the Braves for the No. 2 seed and first-round bye.
Atlanta finished 94-68 and hosted the Philadelphia Phillies for a three-game wild card series earlier this week.
The Braves have already leaned heavily on Chris Sale and Tyler Mahle in October. Sale opened the wild card series with a gem in Game 1 and Mahle delivered a strong start in Game 2, giving Weiss two established options at the front of the rotation. Against the Dodgers, that duo will need to be even better.
Sale just pitched out of the bullpen on Thursday, so it remains unclear when he will make his next appearance. Mahle is expected to take the mound in some capacity for Game 2.
Both Elder and Perez could still factor into October if Atlanta advances. Neither is available now though, making the NLDS much harder for manager Walt Weiss to navigate.
