Will the Braves move Didier Fuentes back to the rotation?
The Braves’ gutsy decision to move Didier Fuentes to the bullpen after some early-season struggles as a starter — rather than sending him back to Gwinnett — has paid massive dividends. In 14 appearances spanning 17 innings, he’s allowed just two earned runs, posting a 1.06 ERA while averaging a strikeout per inning. Fuentes has […]
The Braves’ gutsy decision to move Didier Fuentes to the bullpen after some early-season struggles as a starter — rather than sending him back to Gwinnett — has paid massive dividends. In 14 appearances spanning 17 innings, he’s allowed just two earned runs, posting a 1.06 ERA while averaging a strikeout per inning.
Fuentes has become an integral piece of the bullpen — a guy Walt Weiss is trusting more and more in high-leverage situations. The fact that he can also go multiple innings gives Atlanta a significant advantage. It would be perfectly reasonable to keep him there for the entire season, but it’s impossible not to wonder what he could offer if thrust back into the rotation — something Chris Sale hinted at following last night’s loss.
“His stuff is a lot of fun to watch. It’s pure electricity coming out of that right arm,” Sale said of Fuentes. “A lot of confidence in him. I think moving forward he’s only doing himself a lot of favors, maybe even getting back into the rotation.”
The Braves rotation has been a strength through the first two-plus months. They’ve gotten more than anyone could have imagined out of Bryce Elder, Martin Perez, and Grant Holmes. But when the conversation turns to contending for championships, this group still lacks a true number two behind Chris Sale.
The encouraging news is that options exist. Could Spencer Strider rediscover the form we saw in 2023 as he continues to get stronger? The Braves also have Hurston Waldrep, AJ Smith-Shawver, and Spencer Schwellenbach all working their way back — any one of them could potentially be that guy. Or maybe the answer has been staring everyone in the face all along — a 20-year-old who has made every hitter to step in against him look completely overmatched.
There’s no denying Fuentes has the stuff to be a frontline pitcher. It’s a lot to ask of someone so young — but with each passing outing, the confidence grows. And confidence paired with his repertoire is a dangerous combination.
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(Photo by Jeff Robinson/Icon Sportswire)
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