Braves very encouraged by improving health of their rotation

The Atlanta Braves’ rotation was absolutely ravaged by injuries this year. All five members of the Opening Day unit spent significant time on the IL, and four of them suffered season-ending injuries.

Chris Sale was the lone arm to finish the campaign healthy, and with one year of team control remaining, he’ll once again anchor the staff heading into 2026. Beyond him, plenty of questions remain, but the Braves are encouraged by the progress of Spencer Schwellenbach, Reynaldo López, and Grant Holmes.

Schwellenbach’s season ended due to a fractured forearm, but he’s already back throwing, and the issue reportedly hasn’t been a concern this offseason. López underwent arthroscopic shoulder surgery after making just one start, but he too is throwing again and has told the organization he wants to remain a starter rather than shift back to the bullpen, where he previously thrived.

The most surprising development, however, surrounds Grant Holmes. After being shut down with a UCL injury — typically a guaranteed ticket to Tommy John or InternalBrace surgery — Holmes sought multiple opinions and decided to rehab without going under the knife. Early returns are positive. Alex Anthopoulos said Sunday the team is treating him like any other healthy starter, and Holmes even believes his stuff right now is better than it was before the injury.

Holmes was one of the few bright spots for Atlanta this past season, posting a 3.99 ERA over 115 innings before being shut down. He’s exactly the type of arm you want in the back end of a rotation, and he also brings value as a multi-inning reliever if needed.

But even if Schwellenbach, López, and Holmes all enter 2026 at full strength, the Braves still have to prioritize adding a proven starter this offseason. Injuries are inevitable; every staff in baseball deals with them, usually more than once. Building a rotation while hoping everyone stays healthy is a recipe for disaster.