After several seasons of the Atlanta Braves bench being a big weakness, the backups have started off strong this year for the club. Even with injuries and an infuriating suspension, a bench that consisted of just one holdover from 2026 have combined to slash .259/.290/.407 to start the year.
However, with Sean Murphy already on his rehab assignment, and Ha-Seong Kim not far behind, the Braves will have to make not just one, but two tough decisions for their bench.
Eli White, Kyle Farmer, and Jonah Heim are on the hot seat for the Braves
Although the Braves haven't revealed the full rehab timeline for Sean Murphy, there's a good chance he'll be back before the the full 20 days allowed for position players on rehab assignment are up. When he does return, the natural move for Atlanta would be to swap him out the current backup, Jonah Heim.
However, there is a chance, with Drake Baldwin DHing as much as he has been, that Atlanta could opt to move either Eli White or Kyle Farmer first to give Murphy a backup when Baldwin's the designated hitter.
What makes this roster decision particuarly difficult is that White, Farmer, and Heim do not have any options remaining, meaning the Braves would have to expose whichever odd man out to waivers. While there's a chance they could go unclaimed and stay in the organization, each player has at least one skillset that is desirable for other teams.
For White, it's his elite speed and above-average outfield defense. For Farmer, it's abilities to hit lefties while providing adequate defense in the infield. For Heim, it's his game calling and the allure that he still has something left from his 2023 All-Star campaign.
Once Murphy is activated, shortstop Ha-Seong Kim won't be far behind. When Kim's back, the starting lineup will once again be shuffled, which could unfortunately lead to less playing time for Dominic Smith, who has been red hot to start the season.
With Kim at shortstop, and Dubón moving around the diamond, there will likely be less room for Drake Baldwin to DH as regularly as he has, meaning if Heim survives the first cut, he likely wouldn't survive the second. It also means the ability to play infield isn't as important, which could lead to the Braves favoring White over Farmer.
While the current bench has been a blessing to the 2026 Braves, Atlanta will unfortunately have to make some painful roster decisions to get their injured players back.
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