A Breakdown of Braves Finalized Opening Day Roster

The Atlanta Braves have put the finishing touches on who will be on the opening day roster. The team revealed its opening day roster at high noon on Wednesday. This is who will start the season on the active roster.

They'll host the Kansas City Royals on Friday for a 7:15 p.m. first pitch to get the season underway. Here's the breakdown of the opening day roster and important information to know about specific players.

Pitchers

1. Chris Sale (opening day starter)
2. Reynaldo López
3. Grant Holmes
4. Bryce Elder
5. Jose Suarez 
6. Aaron Bummer
7. Dylan Lee
8. Tyler Kinley
9. Didier Fuentes
10. Joel Payamps 
11. Osvaldo Bido 
12. Robert Suarez (set up man)
13. Raisel Iglesias (closer)

Much of the pitching staff was locked down from the jump, but changes had to be made as injuries came about. Spencer Schwellenbach, Hurston Waldrep and Joey Wentz all went down long-term. Spencer Strider will also start the season on the injured list with an oblique injury.

It also opened up a spot for prospect Didier Fuentes to get another shot at the big leagues. He’ll serve as a long reliever. Osvaldo Bido made his way onto the roster shortly after being claimed off waivers. He had a solid spring training with the Yankees, pitching to a 1.29 ERA in seven appearances. 

Reynaldo Lopez and Grant Holmes have overcome major injuries to get back into the rotation. Lopez only made one start last season due to a shoulder injury. Holmes missed the final two months of last season due to a partially torn UCL. He opted to rehab it instead of undergoing surgery.

Robert Suarez was a key free agent signing over the winter. He's a two-time All-Star, who can also close out games. Kinley and Payamps were midseason additions last season who re-signed over the offseason.

Fun fact: Despite all the time he's spent in the majors, this will be Bryce Elder's first time on the opening day roster.

Catchers

• Drake Baldwin
• Jonah Heim

We knew these would be the two starting catchers from day one of spring training. Sean Murphy isn't going to be ready for at least another month or so. The moment Heim was spotted in big league camp, we knew he was the backup catcher to be.

Baldwin is coming off his Rookie of the Year-winning campaign. He will once again be the opening day starting catcher.

Infielders

• Matt Olson 
• Ozzie Albies
• Mauricio Dubon
• Austin Riley
• Jorge Mateo
• Dominic Smith
• Kyle Farmer

Smith and Farmer were confirmed to be on the opening day roster over the weekend. They signed new contracts that promoted them to the 40-man roster from their previous minor league contracts. Both had solid springs, and they both provide extra options regarding matchups.

Mauricio Dubon is the starting shortstop while Ha-Seong Kim is out with an injury. He's projected to be back in May. Jorge Mateo was signed shortly after Kim went down in January to provide more depth.

Austin Riley was healthy in spring training and looked strong. Perhaps a bounce-back season is in order. Meanwhile, Ozzie Albies still has some concerns with his slow spring. We'll have to wait and see how he performs come the regular season.

Outfielder

• Ronald Acuña Jr. 
• Michael Harris II
• Mike Yastrzemski 
• Eli White

No surprises here. With Jurickson Profar gone for the year, these are your primary outfielders. Dominic Smith can also play outfield. He provides a fifth option.

All four outfielders were expected to be on the opening day roster. Acuña, by virtue of being healthy, will be on the opening day roster for the first time since 2024.

Injured List

• Sean Murphy (hip)
• Ha-Seong Kim (right middle finger)
• Spencer Strider (oblique)
• Spencer Schwellenbach (60-day, loose bodies in elbow)
• Hurston Waldrep (15-day, per MLB.com, loose bodies in elbow)
• Joey Wentz  (60-day, torn right ACL)
• AJ Smith-Shawever (60-day, Tommy John surgery)