When it was revealed last year that Atlanta Braves pitcher Grant Holmes had a partially torn UCL and flexor tendon, it was all but assumed that he would need surgery. However, after consulting with the team and his doctors, Holmes opted instead to just rehab the injury over the offseason and take his chances without surgery. This plan was met with widespread skepticism despite Holmes' insistence that he would be back. Apparently, we all should have never doubted him.
Holmes has not been the Braves' most productive pitcher this season. That honor goes to Bryce Elder, which is another separate and completely insane development. However, what Holmes has been able to do for the Braves to start this season has been nothing short of invaluable, validating Atlanta's decision-making around him.
Grant Holmes has an argument for being the Braves' most important player to start 2026
Keep in mind that Holmes began this season with his elbow being compromised. No one is saying that Holmes or his doctors were wrong to pursue rehab, per se, especially when you consider how much time he would have missed had he gone under the knife. However, it is just a fact that Holmes had significant tears in two of the most important parts of his elbow, and even if they healed most of the way over the offseason (debatable), you can bet that the damage to his elbow would still be visible to a degree on his scans today.
Holmes has simply transcended the problem this season. He has gone at least five innings and 76 pitches through his first three starts, when many teams aggressively manage pitcher workloads, particularly those coming off an injury. Importantly, Holmes has also been good in those three starts with a 2.55 ERA across a team-high 17.2 innings. His FIP (4.42) does suggest a bit of good fortune on batted balls, but it isn't like Holmes' stuff hasn't been passing the eye test.
For a team that started the season down three starters and had to play 13 games in a row before getting their first day off on Thursday, having their starters go deeper into games was critical. The Braves did carry Jose Suarez and Martin Perez to serve as swing men and provide some long relief, but neither of those guys is exactly reliable. However, Holmes' performance, along with the rest of the Braves' rotation, allowed Atlanta to not dip into that well more than they absolutely had to and helped make the Braves’ bullpen one of the best and most well-rested units in all of baseball.
We still don't know if Holmes' elbow will hold up for a full season. The laws of physics are not kind to MLB arms under the best of circumstances, after all. However, that doesn't change the fact that Holmes' ability to come back from his elbow troubles and give the Braves what he has helped the team survive a stretch that could have sunk them.