The Braves have the National League East in hand and appear set to open October as the league’s third seed, but the final week of the regular season will still carry the feel of a postseason rehearsal. Atlanta’s immediate concern is arranging its pitching for the Wild Card Series, while also finding out whether a few important arms can be part of the October picture.
Chris Sale is lined up to start Wednesday against Cincinnati after receiving six additional days between outings. That schedule would leave the 37-year-old left-hander with an extra day of recovery before a potential Wild Card Series opener. Tyler Mahle is expected to pitch Thursday in the Reds series finale, positioning him for Game 2 with an added day of rest as well.
The more unsettled question sits behind those two. Grant Holmes and Martín Pérez are the leading options should Atlanta need a Game 3. Holmes worked six innings against Houston on Saturday and gave up two runs, though the Astros made plenty of loud contact: eight of their 20 balls in play came off the bat at 100 mph or better, and 12 reached at least 95 mph.
Pérez followed with 4 1/3 innings of one-run work against Houston on Sunday. If Atlanta brings him back for Friday’s opener in Miami, he could still be available for a Wild Card Game 3 on an extra day of rest. The veteran left-hander has indicated that he prefers the normal rhythm of regular rest, however, and the club could instead use him Saturday in Miami.
The bullpen and Elder remain October questions
Robert Suarez took a meaningful first step Sunday, throwing a scoreless inning for Triple-A Gwinnett in a rehab appearance. He allowed one hit in his first game action since right-elbow discomfort sidelined him following his June 19 outing.
Manager Walt Weiss would like to see Suarez pitch a couple of times in the majors before the postseason, but no commitment has been made. That leaves his status uncertain for the National League Wild Card Series, which begins Sept. 29. A healthy Suarez would deepen a relief group that could include Didier Fuentes, Raisel Iglesias and Dylan Lee, giving Atlanta more ways to shorten games if the rotation is stretched. For now, though, Suarez remains an unknown, and Lee has endured a shaky second half.
Bryce Elder is likely too close to his knee procedure to factor into the Wild Card round. He had bone fragments removed from around his right knee on Sept. 8, but was cleared Saturday to throw off a mound with limited effort. Elder has said he is on pace, perhaps even a little ahead of the projected three-to-four-week recovery window.
That could make him important later. The Division Series would open four days after the Wild Card Series begins, meaning Sale and Mahle would not be candidates to start the first NLDS game. If Pérez and Holmes are both needed in the Wild Card round, an available Elder could become a valuable option for Atlanta’s next turn through the rotation.
There was also room for a little history during the Houston series. Matt Olson’s two-run homer in Friday’s victory gave him another 40-homer season, placing him alongside Hank Aaron, Eddie Mathews, Ronald Acuña Jr. and Andruw Jones as Braves players with multiple seasons at that mark. Aaron did it eight times, Mathews four times; Acuña and Jones are the other repeat members of the club.
Olson entered Sunday with 73 extra-base hits, fourth most in the majors, but his chase for another 80-hit extra-base season has slowed. He had only nine extra-base hits across his previous 35 games, making a return to 80 a difficult final-week task.
Acuña supplied his own milestone Saturday with a game-ending grand slam. The blast secured his third career 20-homer, 20-steal season. Only Aaron, with six, plus Jones and Ron Gant, with three apiece, have recorded at least three such seasons for the Braves.
