Could the Braves turn to JR Ritchie down the stretch?

Due to injuries and inconsistencies, the Atlanta Braves’ rotation has been a revolving door all season, and it’s not stopping with two weeks remaining.

AJ Smith-Shawver was seen in the bullpen over the weekend as Atlanta squared off with Philadelphia. Given the struggles he’s had as a starter since returning from Tommy John surgery, this feels like a natural transition. His stuff can still play over one inning, and the numbers back that up. Opponents are hitting just .111 with a .586 OPS against Smith-Shawver in the first inning of his five starts this season.

Reynaldo Lopez will get the start tonight in the series opener against the Chicago Cubs, and this might be his last opportunity to start a game if he doesn’t look a lot better than he did against the Tampa Bay Rays his last time out, allowing six earned runs over 4.2 innings.

Martin Perez will go Tuesday, and for now, the Braves have yet to announce a starting pitcher for Wednesday’s game.

Chris Sale would be on regular rest, so he is an option, but Atlanta has preferred to give him extra rest between starts as we come down the stretch, which could open up an opportunity for JR Ritchie, who really seems to have found his footing in Gwinnett recently. Over his last six starts, he’s allowed two runs or fewer in five of them, and he’s coming off a performance in which he tossed six innings of one-run ball with nine strikeouts. The Braves very well might want to see him against major-league competition before the season ends to gauge whether he could play some type of role for them come October.

The good news is the Braves have four guys who continue to throw the hell out of the ball every time they toe the rubber. Chris Sale has been the second-best pitcher in baseball this season. Martin Perez has been a godsend, particularly at home, where he owns a 0.28 ERA over his last six starts — the best mark by a Braves starting pitcher since 1912. Tyler Mahle has been the acquisition of the entire trade deadline, and Grant Holmes has five shutout outings in his last eight starts.

The fifth spot remains a revolving door, but that’s the case for a lot of teams across Major League Baseball this time of year.

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(Photo by Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire)