It's been an interesting season for the Atlanta Braves pitching staff. The team has navigated some unfortunate injuries, but for the most part, they've pitched extremely well thus far. The Braves currently have the best overall team ERA in baseball at 3.08, with the starters sitting at 3.02 overall and the bullpen at 3.19 overall. That's very good when you consider how the front office had to piece things together.
However, there have been a few poor pitching performances from the starters and relievers. One of the pitchers that has had one of the worst starts to the season is lefty reliever Aaron Bummer.
Aaron Bummer's poor start to the 2026 season could have him on the chopping block
Bummer was expected to be a good piece in the bullpen after the Braves traded for him in 2023. His first two seasons with the team were decent with a 3.69 ERA over 109.2 innings pitched, including 35 walks, 120 strikeouts, and a 2.87 FIP.
However, he has struggled in some high leverage spots, and that has been on display in 2026. Bummer has been shockingly underwhelming with a 4.66 ERA over 9.2 innings. He's walked three, struck out seven, and a 6.95 FIP.
That is not very dependable or ideal for the Braves. His ground ball (52.9%) and walk rates (6.7%)are among the best in baseball. Unfortunately, opponents are barreling up his pitches and hitting them hard. Bummer also owns 14.7% barrel rate and a 50% hard hit rate. Those are absolutely unsustainable rates and he has to turn that around or he will be packing his bags sooner rather than later.
The Braves need to find another lefty reliever if that ends up being the case. Dylan Lee has been an extremely dependable left-handed option, but after him, it's a very grim outlook. Atlanta is left with Bummer and Jose Suarez as their remaining options. Neither of them are having good seasons. It wouldn't be surprising if the Braves sent both of them packing. Bummer is in the final year of his contract, so he really needs to figure things out quickly if he wants to stay.
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