After spending the entire spring battling for the final rotation spot, Dylan Dodd and Jared Shuster will both make the rotation to start the season, Mark Bowman of MLB.com reported Sunday morning. Kyle Wright, who missed the first few weeks of Spring Training with a shoulder injury, will get more time to ramp up.
The Braves will give Kyle Wright extra time. So, Shuster and Dodd will both make a start within the first two series. Dodd will start April 4 in St. Louis, which is about three hours from his hometown of Bismarck, Ill (pop. 579)
— Mark Bowman (@mlbbowman) March 26, 2023
Wright will start the season on the IL. The current plan is for the 27-year-old to start a game against minor leaguers and then one start with Gwinnett before starting during the home opener on April 8. His IL stint can be backdated to March 27.
Dylan Dodd won't start the season on the Opening Day roster and will be added before the fifth game of the season.
How Dylan Dodd and Jared Shuster earned rotation spots
Coming into Spring Training, it looked like the fifth starter competition would come down to Michael Soroka, Bryce Elder, and Ian Anderson. However, after a hamstring injury slowed Soroka, and after both Elder and Anderson were optioned with two weeks left in camp, the focus quickly shifted to Dylan Dodd and Jared Shuster.
Jared Shuster was the Braves 1st round pick in 2020, and was solid in 139.1 innings between AA Mississippi and AAA Gwinnett, allowing 51 earned runs in 27 games (25 starts), good for a 3.29 ERA.
This spring, the lefty only allowed three runs in 18.2 innings in his five games (four starts). He also struck out 18 batters while walking four.
Dylan Dodd was equally as impressive, however. The Braves' 2021 3rd round pick, Dodd pitched between Rome, Mississippi, and Gwinnett last season, pitching 142 innings with a 4.05 ERA across the three levels.
Dodd threw 18 innings in five games (three starts) and allowed four runs, good for a 2.00 ERA. He struck out 20 batters and walked four.
With Kyle Wright's slow start and IL stint, the Braves were able to reward both prospects with big league spots.
Dylan Dodd won't open the season with the big league team, meaning the Braves will be carrying an extra reliever to start the season before Dodd makes his major league debut.
Shuster and Dodd aren't on the 40-man, but there are currently 2 open spots and two players going on the 60-day IL (Tyler Matzek, and Huascar Ynoa), which will open four of the five spots needed for Jesse Chavez, Kevin Pillar, and Ehire Adrianza, in addition to the two prospects.
Kolby Allard is someone who could go on the 60-day IL if needed, or the Braves could DFA someone like Michael Tonkin or Seth Elledge to open up a spot for Dodd.