Not much over a month since he was shut down for the year, Atlanta Braves starting pitcher Grant Holmes is back to throwing. Manager Brian Snitker said on Tuesday that the right-hander was throwing against the wall and had played catch.
Holmes reportedly feels good as well in the early goings of his recovery from a partially torn UCL.
“Obviously, he hasn’t gone on the mound, didn’t torque anything yet, but, you know, getting there. We’ll see,” Snitker said.
Holmes went down with what was initially called right elbow inflammation, but naturally, the partially torn UCL was what was revealed to be the cause of it.
Instead of opting for Tommy John surgery like AJ Smith-Shawver or the internal brace that Spencer Strider got, Homes is aiming to rehab and see if he can heal enough to get back out there.
The hope still remains that he can report to Spring Training and go through the usual motions.
“Yeah, it would be interesting, and that’d be great for him and for us to have him back next year. It’d be awesome,” Snitker said.
It would make for a nice chapter in the emergence of Holmes as a member of the Braves’ rotation. Once a first-round pick by the Dodgers, he ended up spending 10 years in the minors before getting his chance last season.
First, he started as a member of the bullpen before getting a shot as an emergency starter. He found himself in the rotation to start the 2025 season, and he held the spot until he went down.
While the run support or the bullpen wasn’t always there, he consistently gave the Braves quality innings.
In 22 games, 21 starts, this season, he had a 3.99 ERA and a 1.34 WHIP in 115 innings pitched. His last start came on July 26, when he exited the game after four innings. He was on the injured list the following morning.
Holmes joins Spencer Schwellenbach and Reynaldo López in reaching the point of playing catch. None will pitch again this season, but it’s a hopeful sign that the rotation can be back in order for opening day.
In the meantime, the Braves have managed to get Chris Sale back before the end of the season so he can have a normal offseason. In the absence of other arms, they have also seen the emergence of prospect pitcher Hurston Waldrep, who is on track to be in the rotation for 2026 as well.
