With AJ Smith-Shawver suffering a season-ending injury, the Atlanta Braves chose to recall Bryce Elder to take his place. With the team needing starting pitching, recalling Elder, a pitcher who had surprisingly performed well in his stint earlier this season, was a no-brainer. However, he’s making the Braves regret their decision to bring him back in record time.

Before the Braves even got a chance to bat in the rubber game of their series against the Boston Red Sox, Elder allowed a bases-clearing double to the struggling Trevor Story. He retired two of the first three batters he faced, but allowed Abraham Toro and Marcelo Mayer to reach base in succession, and then left a sinker over the middle of the plate which Story covered.

Elder was hoping to prove he belongs in Atlanta’s rotation long-term, but the start to this game won’t help his case.

For more news and rumors, check out MLB Insider Robert Murray’s work on The Baseball Insiders podcast, subscribe to The Moonshot, our weekly MLB newsletter, and join the discord to get the inside scoop during the MLB season.

Bryce Elder continues to be an untrustworthy starter for the Braves

The start to this outing virtually sums up Elder’s entire MLB career thus far. He looked like a fixture in the first half of the 2023 campaign when he made the NL All-Star team, but struggled in the second half of 2023 and all of 2024. He suddenly looked better in 2025, but now, has seemingly taken another turn for the worst.

He’s shown glimpses, but if Elder is going to continue to be inconsistent, it’s a really tough argument to say he should be in the Braves’ rotation. If he can’t stick in Atlanta’s rotation, the Braves will be put in a very tough spot.

Bryce Elder’s inconsistency puts the Braves in a brutal spot

If Elder can’t stick around, who is going to take his place? That’s ultimately a question that must be asked. Reynaldo Lopez is on the IL alongside Smith-Shawver, and the depth in their upper minors is not good.

Do the Braves give Hurston Waldrep another look? Probably not yet. Guys like Davis Daniel, Ian Anderson, and Jose Suarez are uninspiring. If Elder can’t pitch well enough to be used every fifth day, Alex Anthopoulos must scour the trade market to see what he can get. This version of Elder ultimately isn’t good enough for a Braves team trying to get back into the postseason hunt.