Braves are now down their top four Opening Day starters

With the news dropping yesterday of Spencer Schwellenbach heading to the 15-day IL with a fractured elbow, the Braves’ rotation is now completely decimated.

Think back to Opening Day: Brian Snitker lined up his rotation with Chris Sale, Reynaldo Lopez, Spencer Schwellenbach, and AJ Smith-Shawver in the first four games. As of now, it’s unclear if any of them will pitch again this season, and it’s not even July 4th.

Reynaldo Lopez was the first to go down, making just one start before hitting the IL and eventually undergoing arthroscopic surgery on his shoulder. He hasn’t yet been ruled out for the season, but even if he does work his way back, it’s hard to imagine the Braves still view him as a starting pitcher.

A couple of months later, AJ Smith-Shawver tore his UCL, a gut punch to him and the organization after it finally appeared he had turned the corner in his development. He’s since undergone Tommy John surgery and will miss not only the rest of this season but next season as well.

Then, it was Chris Sale, who suffered a fractured rib cage while diving for a grounder in the ninth inning of a game the Braves were winning by five runs. Sale will likely be able to return at some point in late August/early September, but at that point, is it really worth the risk of throwing him back into the fire?

The same could be said for Spencer Schwellenbach, who was really establishing himself as a top tier starter after a rough patch earlier in the season. The good news is that there is no ligament damage, and he should be able to return sometime in September. But unless the Braves miraculously turn things around while nearly their entire starting rotation is sidelined, it doesn’t seem all that necessary to rush Schwellenbach back this season.

It’s a difficult pill to swallow for a club that’s made the postseason in seven straight seasons, winning six division titles and a World Series. However, it’s time for the Braves to start thinking about their problems and how they can fix them for next season.