The regular season hasn't even started, and Atlanta Braves fans are already probably dealing with some fatigue and disappointment. Any hopes of getting out of spring training without some sort of injury mucking things up were quickly dashed as the Braves immediately were down Spencer Schwellenbach and Hurston Waldrep after both needed surgeries on their elbows. Add in the previously known Ha-Seong Kim injury and now Joey Wentz being out for the season, and you have a very familiar and unfortunate start to 2026.
We are only just beginning to understand how unfortunate, in fact. There are a lot of moving parts in the Braves' roster considerations beyond just injuries. Service time, minor league options, and in-game strategy plans all play a role in deciding who is in and who is out when it comes to the Opening Day roster, and Atlanta has little margin for error.
However, based on Braves insider Mark Bowman's latest Opening Day roster projection, the Braves may not have good choices available to them for at least a few of their roster spots, and that is most unfortunate.
Braves' Opening Day roster appears poised to include some...less than ideal options after Atlanta's wave of injuries
So here is the fundamental problem: it is absolutely true that prioritizing guys without minor league options can lead to a strictly worse roster, but it is also the most straightforward way to preserve depth in case of emergencies. As the Braves know very well, there will be injuries during the regular season, and having passable options to replace those injured players, even if temporarily, can make all the difference.
Unfortunately, that consideration is why Bowman has Martin Perez in the Braves' Opening Day rotation who Atlanta added late in the offseason, but before all the injuries took root. Not because he is the best option or even particularly good at all, but because the Braves would prefer giving him a chance to provide some short-term stability and Atlanta doesn't want to lose him for nothing...at least not yet. The same story is true with Bryce Elder, although he honestly may have significantly more ceiling than Perez, assuming he can translate his increased velocity into actual results.
In better news, the bullpen competition looks like it could yield some exciting results as Bowman has both James Karinchak and Joel Payamps. Payamps has at least been really good before, and based on how spring training has gone, Karinchak could end up being the steal of the winter.
While this spring is definitely not going according to plan, the Braves do still have some options to weather the storm. As to whether or not they will make the right choice(s) given their playoff aspirations, that remains to be seen.