Braves insider just hinted Atlanta could go with unorthodox rotation solution soon

Atlanta Braves v Miami Marlins
Atlanta Braves v Miami Marlins | Rich Storry/GettyImages

After being such a source of strength for the team during the first half of the season, the Atlanta Braves rotation now looks very vulnerable. Losing AJ Smith-Shawver to an arm injury was bad enough to be sure, but now Chris Sale is on the shelf for an indeterminant amount of time with broken ribs which leaves Atlanta without much in the way of pitching depth. The team felt forced to give top pitching prospect Didier Fuentes a shot as a result, but now it appears as though the Braves may have something else up their sleeve after he has struggled.

It needs to be said that Fuentes having a rough first two starts shouldn't necessarily change his long term outlook. He is so young and very clearly has good stuff to work with. Once he gets his legs back under him at Triple-A for a while, Fuentes could end up being a monster.

For some, the next option that Atlanta should consider is former first round pick Hurston Waldrep despite his issues with walks. However, at least according to The Athletic's Braves beat writer David O'Brien, old friend Jackson Stephens could be on the table as a rotation option for the Braves in the near future.

Braves could turn to old friend Jackson Stephens to address their rotation woes

Braves fans will remember Stephens, but definitely not as a rotation piece as he has been in Atlanta's bullpen off-and-on since 2022. Atlanta brought Stephens back once again this season, but most saw the move as a bullpen depth move at the time.

However, as O'Brien noted, Stephens has made back-to-back starts down at Triple-A which is certainly not by accident and he has yet to give up an earned run. Going only four and five innings in each one respectively doesn't bode well for him pitching particularly deep into games, but his ability to throw strikes and limit damage would be a welcome addition for the Braves assuming Stephens can replicate that against big league hitters a couple times through the lineup.

One hopes that such a plan would work, but that the Braves are even considering Stephens in their rotation highlights the difficult situation they find themselves in. With a crucial home series against the Phillies up next, every single choice they make for the foreseeable future could make or break their season.

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