Bryce Elder's Stats, Metrics, Game Logs, Projections & Rankings

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.