As talented as young Atlanta Braves pitcher Didier Fuentes is, one shouldn't be all that surprised that he found a lot of difficulty in dealing with the Mets on Wednesday. Fuentes is just 20 years old with exactly six starts in the minors at Double-A or higher. On top of that, New York has several really tough lefties for any right-handed pitcher to handle, let alone a kid making his second MLB start.
However, none of that changes the fact that Fuentes did struggle and doesn't look quite ready for prime time just yet. Atlanta needs rotation help especially with Chris Sale out and Fuentes' first two starts feel like pretty strong evidence that he isn't going to be that guy just yet. The question now becomes who the Braves will turn to if/when they send Fuentes down for more seasoning in the minors?
As Braves insider Mark Bowman hinted on Wednesday, Hurston Waldrep could be the next guy to get an opportunity to prove himself again in the majors.
Hurston Waldrep could get another opportunity with the Braves soon after Didier Fuentes' struggles
Those that watched the Braves closely last season will remember that Waldrep's MLB debut in 2024 did not go particularly well. Giving up 13 earned runs in seven innings of work is pretty tough to do, but Waldrep pulled it off before he dealt with injuries and went back to the drawing board in the minors to try and mold his fastball into a workable pitch in the big leagues.
So far, Waldrep's efforts to turn his career around this season have had mixed results. Through 14 starts, he is striking out more than a batter an inning, but walks continue to be a major struggle and his 5.60 ERA at Triple-A doesn't exactly shout from the rooftops that he is ready for another promotion.
Unfortunately, Bowman was right when he later said that the Braves may not have another choice at the moment. Fuentes doesn't look ready, Reynaldo Lopez isn't returning anytime soon, and Waldrep has the built in advantage of already being on the 40 man roster. Ready or not, it feels like Braves fans may see Waldrep on the mound in the big leagues pretty soon.