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The injury most impacting the Atlanta Braves may be the season-ending ACL tear keeping Ronald Acuña Jr. out of the outfield, but the team is focused on building the rotation rather than the batting order, Jeff Passan reported for ESPN.
“Despite the Braves’ offensive struggles and wondrous pitching, opposing teams see Atlanta’s biggest need on the mound— even after losing the reigning NL MVP,” Passan wrote.
That need is in part because Atlanta has lost starter Spencer Strider to season-ending surgery, and also because MLB executives believe Braves pitcher Chris Sale is “bound for regression,” according to Passan.
Sale, who has recorded a 8-1 record in 11 starts while walking 10 and striking out 82 through 67.2 innings pitched, has so far been a central reason the Braves are sitting second in the NL East with a 33-24 record.
MLB @MLB
Luis Gil: 6-0, 38.2 IP, 44 K, 0.70 ERA
Chris Sale: 5-0, 32 IP, 45 K, 0.56 ERA
Your AL and NL Pitchers of the Month for May! pic.twitter.com/haIYzOnvtV
Passan indicated that executives are skeptical that Sale can maintain his 0.946 WHIP, and are similarly doubtful that Reynaldo López (1.73 ERA, 1.081 WHIP through 10 starts and 57.1 innings) can maintain his own high level of performance.
Max Fried has been solid through 11 starts, but other Braves pitchers face questions as to their rotation longevity. Charlie Morton, who has a 3.88 ERA and 1.293 WHIP in 11 starts and 62.2 innings pitched, turns 41 in November. Spencer Schwellenbach is still adjusting to the majors after making his MLB debut last Wednesday.
Through 57 games, the Braves have put together one of the most dominant pitching rotations in the MLB in large part thanks to Sale’s stunning start.
But with Strider’s surgically repaired right elbow set to keep him out for the rest of the season, there are enough lingering questions impacting the Braves’ rotation to potentially lead Atlanta to wade into the pitching trade market ahead of the July 30 trade deadline.
Adding a pitcher might not be the only move Atlanta makes this summer. Passan reported that Braves general manager Alex Anthopoulos is also likely to seek “complementary pieces” to bolster the Braves’ lineup in Acuña’s absence.
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