The Atlanta Braves may be the favorite to win the World Series, but they will have to do so without the help of last year's 20-game winner in right-hander Kyle Wright. Not only was Wright not part of the Braves' NLDS roster vs. the NL East rival Philadelphia Phillies, but Justin Toscano of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported Wright will be going on the 60-day IL with a right shoulder strain.
Wright had been a highly-coveted prospect by the Braves organization after being drafted out of Vanderbilt. While he had his moments prior to last year, 2022 was his breakout campaign. He not only won 20 games as a Braves starter, but he also won the only postseason game for Atlanta last October. Of course, nobody remembers that, only that the Braves lost to the No. 6-seeded Phillies...
Atlanta may have won the NL East for the sixth season in a row, but none of that will matter if the Braves do not get past the Phillies in the NLDS for a second consecutive postseason. Once again, the wild card-winning Phillies are playing with house money. All the pressure is on the Braves to get it done with arguably its best team all time. Fate would have it, it may come down to their pitching staff.
First pitch from Truist Park will be at 6:07 p.m. ET on Saturday, Oct. 7. Spencer Strider gets the start.
Atlanta Braves will not have RHP Kyle Wright available this postseason
The good news for the Braves is they were probably not going to need Wright in the NLDS. Their starting rotation will almost certainly feature Strider in Game 1, Max Fried in Game 2 and Bryce Elder in Game 3. Keep in mind that veteran right-hander Charlie Morton also did not make the NLDS roster, but could be available to pitch in the NLCS and World Series should the Braves even advance that far.
I think what the news of Wright's latest injury suggests is he may not be a reliable piece in the rotation going forward. He has not regressed like Ian Anderson or Michael Soroka have previously, but Atlanta did just fine without him for the better part of the year anyway. Strider won 20 games and broke a franchise strikeout record in his breakout season. Even Elder made his first trip to the All-Star Game.
Overall, as long as the Braves bullpen holds up its end of the bargain, then the Braves should be okay without having Wright available. Of course, October is when pitching is the most important. It is incredibly hard to win multiple postseason series with a leaky bullpen or a questionable starting rotation. The Braves bats can outslug anyone, but what happens when all of their bats grow silent?
Here is to Wright bouncing back with a better 2024, or as soon as he can return to the diamond.
