The Braves and their upcoming Wild Card Series against the Padres has all of us scratching our heads around pitching. It’s one of those “who’s going to step up” moments. The Braves are down a key lefty, Chris Sale, who’s dealing with some back issues that have lingered since his last start on Sept. 19.
Sale’s absence leaves Atlanta scrambling for a Game 1 starter. Max Fried is locked in for Game 2 and Reynaldo López will likely handle a potential Game 3, there’s a huge question mark hanging over the first game.
So, what are our options? Charlie Morton just pitched on Sunday, and Spencer Schwellenbach went deep into the eighth inning during Monday’s first game of the doubleheader against the Mets. Grant Holmes? He tossed four scoreless innings in the nightcap that clinched the Braves’ postseason berth. The bottom line is that none of these players are available.
So, who’s left in the mix? Three names keep popping up: Ian Anderson, AJ Smith-Shawver, and Bryce Elder. Let’s break them down.
First up, Anderson. Now, if you’re looking for a guy who’s shown postseason magic, Anderson might be your guy. His 1.26 ERA in eight playoff starts is legendary stuff—names like Stephen Strasburg and Christy Mathewson are the only other pitchers in baseball history to put up sub-1.50 ERAs over at least eight playoff starts.