Braves News: Grant Holmes' rotation future, OF prospect's huge game, Julio Franco's comeback

The Atlanta Braves have been very uneven of late. After losing a very close series against the Yankees on the road, they came back with a series win over the lowly Mets before dropping the first two games of their series against the Diamondbacks, where the offense has only managed to score a combined three runs in those two games. You can't win them all, but it would be nice to see the Braves string together another run.

Now that trade season is over, but we aren't QUITE to the final stretch of the season, Braves baseball is kind of a waiting game right now. For the moment, the Braves have a very healthy lead in the division, but it is going to be at least a couple of weeks before we know if that lead is going to stick. While we wait to see how the Braves' strategy this season pans out, here is a look at the news you might have missed.

It sounds like Grant Holmes is sticking in the rotation, but the same may not be true for AJ Smith-Shawver

With AJ Smith-Shawver seemingly on track to return to the big leagues soon after being stretched out in the minors, the question became which of Grant Holmes or Bryce Elder would lose their rotation spot and move to a relief role. Holmes was the popular choice, given that he has struggled at times when facing a lineup for the second or third time, and that his elbow injury from last season has clearly impacted the quality of his stuff in 2026.

However, Braves manager Walt Weiss sounded pretty sure in saying that Holmes was going to stay in the rotation for the foreseeable future. When there were understandable follow-ups to that declaration, he hinted that shifting AJSS to the bullpen instead was on the table. That would be an odd choice, given how long Atlanta waited to stretch Smith-Shawver back out, but it does sound like Holmes will be starting for now. Whether or not that comes with him piggybacking with Smith-Shawver (or someone else) remains to be seen.

Braves prospect Dixon Williams just had a game for the ages down at High-A Rome

While the Braves' minor leagues are more loaded than they have been in a long time, one name that hasn't gotten much attention is 2025 draft pick Dixon Williams. The 22-year-old outfielder out of East Carolina was selected using the pick that Atlanta received after losing Max Fried in free agency, but Williams' hit tool has been really challenged this season in the minors, even though his raw power and speed were abundantly clear.

Everything came together for Williams on Saturday in what will likely be the best game of his entire professional career. Not only did Williams hit two homers and go 4-5 overall, but he drove in a staggering 10 runs, a mark that hadn't been seen in full-season ball at all in over two years.

The ageless wonder Julio Franco took part in MLBx and, unsurprisingly, he looked great

If you ask pretty much anyone who truly knows baseball, they will tell you that Julio Franco being as good as he was for as long as he was was nothing short of a miracle. Franco defied Father Time unlike almost any other player before him before finally retiring from MLB after the 2007 season after a 23-year career. Franco would play one more season in the Mexican League after that and a short stint in indy ball in 2014 before his playing days were finally over.

However, it sure looks like Franco is still in great shape right now despite the fact that he is 67 years old. After Andruw Jones dropped out of MLBx at Truist Park this week (which is basically a modified home derby sort of thing with three-person teams), Franco was subbed in, and not only did he look suspiciously like he did when he retired, but he led his team to the finals before finally getting defeated.

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