Wednesday was brutal for JR Ritchie, who just coughed up 6 runs, including 2 homers, over only 4.2 innings. This is a massive blow for the Braves, especially since they were hoping he could step up and solidify a playoff rotation that’s already looking incredibly thin.
Rotation Chaos & Ritchie’s Regression
Ritchie’s numbers, with 2 walks and 5 strikeouts, tell a story of a fringe major league starter at best. This is despite him looking like a new pitcher in the minors recently. The Braves are now staring down a rotation crisis. After Chris Sale and Tyler Mahle, their best option seems to be “Grant Holmes for 2-3 innings and then pray the bullpen can cover the rest.” And yeah, they don’t even have a clear fourth starter lined up. It’s a rough spot to be in, especially after losing their series to the Cubs in Chicago.
Farm Hopes & League News
It’s not all grim for Atlanta, though. Five Braves prospects earned spots on the A-ball All-Star teams, which is a nice nod to the future. Elsewhere in MLB, we saw some big news. Huge relief for A’s prospect Ryan Lasko, who’s finally out of the hospital after two months. He was injured and paralyzed in an outfield collision. What a recovery! The Cardinals got star rookie JJ Wetherholt back from the IL after he missed two weeks, but the Dodgers lost Blake Snell early from his start against the Reds on Wednesday with a groin injury.
The Braves have some serious work to do, and fast. That playoff rotation looks like a giant question mark, and Ritchie’s latest outing just amplified the problem. Can they find answers before it’s too late?
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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