Following the latest injury to Grant Holmes, the Braves 26-man roster has more holes than a golf course, and the trade deadline will only create more, with several contributors expected to be moved in the coming days.

The pitching staff, in particular, is lacking any sort of major-league talent. It’s going to be a difficult watch down the stretch, but if there’s any positive spin to the situation, it should present an opportunity for several of the Braves most intriguing prospects to make their MLB debuts.

3. JR Ritchie

Following the All-Star break, Ritchie received a promotion to AAA Gwinnett, and there have been no signs of slowing down through his first two starts with the Stripers. He owns a 2.36 ERA over 17 starts this season, including a 2.38 mark in Gwinnett. Ritchie is the Braves most MLB ready pitching prospect; it’s just a matter of if the Braves want to start his service time clock. Given the outlook of Atlanta’s rotation moving forward, there’s an argument that it’s best to find out now if Ritchie could potentially be a piece of next year’s Opening Day roster.

2. Jhancarlos Lara

With the Braves expected to trade Raisel Iglesias and possibly a couple of other relievers, a lot of innings will have to be covered by some new faces. That’s where the last two names on this list come into play.

Jhancarlos Lara has the most explosive arm in the entire organization, capable of running his heater up to 102 MPH. He pairs that fastball with an absolutely filthy slider, which has been basically unhittable at every level. Lara has the kind of stuff that can’t be taught. He’s a one in a million type arm. At this point, it’s all about his control. If he can find a way to consistently throw strikes, he has a chance to a be a dominant reliever for the Braves.

1. Hayden Harris

I can see arguments as to why the Braves might not want to bring up JR Ritchie and Jhancarlos Lara this season. However, Hayden Harris making his MLB debut after the trade deadline is a bonafide lock. He has absolutely nothing left to prove in the minors, currently boasting a 0.71 ERA over 12 appearances out of Gwinnett’s bullpen. Harris is also no spring chicken at 26-years-old. He has the chance to be a huge piece of Atlanta’s relief core in 2026, and we should be seeing plenty of him in August and September.