The Atlanta Braves starting rotation is in a lot of flux right now. Max Fried and Kyle Wright are still working their way back from injuries, Mike Soroka's workload is being monitored very closely, and Kolby Allard just hit the 60-day injured list with a nerve issue in his throwing shoulder.
We still don't know what we can reasonably expect from Jared Shuster, AJ Smith-Shawver, or Dylan Dodd on any given night when they make their roster cameo appearances.
The Braves have figured out a way to make it work so far, but it is definitely fair to call the rotation unsettled at the moment. However, a new name has entered the fray when it comes to the Braves' starting rotation as Bob Nightengale reported that Allan Winans will be making his big league debut for the Brave on Saturday.
Who is Allan Winans and what can we expect from him?
The usual Bob Nightengale caveats aside, Allan Winans getting a start in the big leagues is a testament to his perseverance through a long, winding career in the minor leagues.
Winans was a 17th-round pick by the Mets back in 2018 and he quickly established himself as a really interesting relief prospect for New York over the next couple of years. The Braves liked him so much that they snagged him in the Rule 5 draft after the 2021 season.
The Braves almost immediately converted him to being a starter and while he dealt with some injuries during the 2022 season and he acclimated pretty well upon his return to the Arizona Fall League. During the 2023 season, he has been excellent with a 2.81 ERA in 18 appearances this season (13 starts).
Winans doesn't miss a ton of bats and relies on weak contact for the majority of his outs, but he throws a lot of strikes and relies on his command to get guys guessing for his strikeouts. Pretty awesome to see a guy that signed for $10,000 out of the draft work his way into making it to the big leagues.