Braves switch up the roster ahead of Wild Card Series versus Phillies
The Braves Wild Card Series roster dropped on Tuesday morning, and there are a couple of very notable changes, as the club is opting to carry just 11 pitchers into the three-game set. Your 2026 Wild Card Series roster! pic.twitter.com/RKJ7kYjP4j — Atlanta Braves (@Braves) September 29, 2026 Rowdey Tellez and Luke Williams join the club […]
The Braves Wild Card Series roster dropped on Tuesday morning, and there are a couple of very notable changes, as the club is opting to carry just 11 pitchers into the three-game set.
Your 2026 Wild Card Series roster! pic.twitter.com/RKJ7kYjP4j
— Atlanta Braves (@Braves) September 29, 2026
Rowdey Tellez and Luke Williams join the club as position players. With a designated hitter in a series like this, seeing much of them is highly unlikely.
But Tellez does offer some power from the left side off the bench and comes with some postseason experience. He hit two home runs against the Braves in the NLDS back in 2021. And Williams is another speedster the Braves could turn to late in the game. He also can play all over the diamond defensively.
On the pitching side of things, the one notable absence is AJ Smith-Shawver. He struggled as a starting pitcher after returning from Tommy John surgery. That forced a move to the bullpen, and after giving up three runs in three appearances, it’s not that surprising the Braves decided against including him for this series. In a five-game series, if the Braves advance, there’s much more of a reason to carry a high-powered arm like his that can go multiple innings.
The Wild Card Series kicks off in just over three hours, with Chris Sale toeing the rubber for the Braves and Jesus Luzardo getting the ball for the Phillies. It will be Luzardo’s first start since throwing a complete-game shutout against Atlanta on September 7th, after serving a short stint on the Injured List with shoulder inflammation.
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(Photo by David J. Griffin/Icon Sportswire)
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