Atlanta Braves News: Bryce Elder Set to Make Big League Debut
In a bit of a surprise, the Atlanta Braves will call up prospect Bryce Elder to start Tuesday’s game against the Washington Nationals.
Many of us were somewhat in shock when Atlanta Braves manager Brian Snitker brought Tucker Davidson out of the bullpen on Monday night as he seemed like the obvious candidate to start on Tuesday.
Once that happened, it was a mad scramble to see who the Braves might use on Tuesday.
Initially, some speculate it could be Touki Toussaint. But then it was reported that all players on the 40-man roster were officially optioned on April 7, which means they’re unable to return to the big leagues until April 17.
Once that was realized, Bryce Elder became the obvious choice as he was not on the 40-man roster and was scheduled to start for Gwinnett on Tuesday anyway.
The only problem with that is the Braves would have to clear a 40-man spot to make room for him. Chadwick Tromp was the unfortunate casualty. Hopefully, he’ll return on a minor league deal as the depth at catcher is needed.
Atlanta will likely have to make another cut on the 40-man roster as they optioned two players down in Tucker Davidson and William Contreras.
Why Snitker decided to make this so complicated, I don’t know. It seems like the most logical move would have been to just let Davidson start on Tuesday — but here we are.
Braves: What to Expect from Bryce Elder
While Davidson would have made the most sense seeing as he was already on the roster, it will be exciting to see Elder get his opportunity.
A fifth-round pick in 2020 (the last round of that draft), he was the Minor League Pitcher of the Year for the Braves last season posting a 2.75 ERA in 137.2 innings with a WHIP of 1.104 and 155 strikeouts across three levels.
He made two starts in Spring Training and looked really good not allowing a hit in 7.2 innings with 4 walks and 4 strikeouts.
The Texas University product is just 22 years old and only has one professional season under his belt, so this is certainly a bold move.
But anybody who has watched him pitch knows he has a mature approach on the mound and finds ways to get hitters out.
He doesn’t have overpowering stuff, but he can command all five of his pitches and is in attack mode from the time he takes the mound.
Next. Highs and Lows from First Series. dark
Bryce Elder and the Atlanta Braves look to get revenge against the Washington Nationals on Tuesday night at 7:20 PM ET.