The regular season is winding down, and the Atlanta Braves are positioning themselves pretty well heading into the Wild Card round. Robert Suarez looked healthy upon his return, and Chris Sale mowed down the Reds before getting some rest ahead of the first round of the playoffs. The timing of Ronald Acuña Jr.'s injury isn't ideal, but it sounds minor, and giving him a little extra rest before the postseason seems like a good idea anyway. However, who exactly Atlanta will carry on their postseason roster remains a bit of a mystery.
Now, plenty of Braves roster spots are locks or close to it. However, the Braves must take into account MLB's somewhat arcane playoff roster rules when filling those final few spots that are genuinely up for grabs. As we will see, that is easier said than done.
Explaining MLB's weird postseason roster rules and how it could impact the Braves' choices as to who to carry in the playoffs
First, a quick primer on MLB's postseason roster rules. Each team's active roster contracts to 26 players again, and only players who were on a team's 40-man roster or 60-day IL on August 31 or before are eligible for inclusion under normal circumstances. That last part is important, because teams can petition the commissioner for exceptions to the eligibility rule in the event of injuries (and are often granted them), which can open the door to guys not on the 40-man.
So where does that leave the Braves as they set their playoff roster? Well, for starters, they are going to have to cut two guys right off the bat because rosters are contracting. On the position player side, Kyle Farmer (who may get a reprieve because he can be an emergency catcher), DaShawn Keirsey Jr., and Dom Smith could be at risk of not making it.
As for the arms on the bubble, Martin Perez and Bryce Elder are far from sure things, given that the Braves probably don’t need more than three starters in the Wild Card round. Ray Kerr and Victor Mederos may also fail to make the initial cut in the bullpen, but they could also appear again later on if the Braves advance.
So who could sneak in and make the playoff roster through the injury loophole or otherwise? Well, Joe Jimenez would be near the top of that list if not for Walt Weiss' repeated attempts to temper expectations with his recovery from a major knee issue. Since he was on the 60-day IL, he is eligible either way. Patrick Clohisy would make a lot of sense as a bench outfielder and pinch-runner, but he would have to be an injury replacement since he wasn't previously added to the 40-man. Tyler Uberstine could be an option as well, but a few guys may be ahead of him on that bullpen depth chart.
As you can see, there’s a lot of moving parts to the Braves' playoff roster choices, and one injury could upend their best-laid plans in a hurry. However, once you look at the rules they have to account for and play under, we can get pretty close to guessing what their postseason roster(s) will look like.
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