The Atlanta Braves, who will visit the Miami Marlins on Saturday afternoon in the teams’ next-to-last game of the regular season, are facing issues concerning their rotation.
Left-hander Martin Perez (lower back inflammation) is on the injured list and likely will miss the first two rounds of the playoffs for the National League East champion Braves (93-67).
Losing Perez (9-9, 3.04 ERA) is a blow for Atlanta. Chris Sale (14-9, 2.16 ERA) is the Braves’ ace, and Grant Holmes (10-6, 3.44 ERA) is set for the postseason rotation, too. The Braves also feel good about Tyler Mahle, who was acquired from the San Francisco Giants at the trade deadline last month.
Mahle went 3-9 (5.13 ERA) with the Giants but is 4-1 with a 1.99 ERA for the Braves.
After that, the Braves start to dim in the rotation, with converted reliever JR Ritchie (1-4, 4.79 ERA) likely next in line.
The Braves have had an excellent season, winning their seventh division title over the past nine years. But the lack of rotation depth — especially with Bryce Elder (8-8, 4.11 ERA) also on the injured list — could plague their playoff push.
However, Braves manager Walt Weiss has another view, at least publicly.
“It’s business as usual,” he told mlb.com. “The way things have gone this year, somebody’s probably going to get a bigger opportunity and make something of it.”
Meanwhile, the Marlins (79-81) are putting the finishing touches on another disappointing season. They have not made the playoffs since 2023 and were officially eliminated from playoff contention last week.
“We put our players first from a health standpoint,” manager Clayton McCullough said Friday. “But, outside of that, we will try to win as many games as possible this weekend, especially at home, where we’ve had a successful year.”
The Marlins, who are 46-33 at home this season, made news this week as shortstop Otto Lopez was named Miami’s 2026 Roberto Clemente Award nominee. The award goes to the player who, as MLB.com describes it, “best represents the game of baseball through extraordinary character, community involvement, philanthropy, and positive contributions, both on and off the field.”
Mookie Betts of the Dodgers won the 2025 Clemente Award.
On Saturday, the Marlins likely will face a Braves bullpen game, according to Weiss. The Braves will send left-hander Brent Suter (3-2, 3.48 ERA) to the mound first.
Suter got the win in relief his last time out, pitching a scoreless top of the 10th on Wednesday before the Braves walked off Cincinnati 3-2 in the bottom of the inning.
Suter is 2-1 with an ERA of 4.37 in 11 career appearances against the Marlins.
“The priority is getting guys appearances and also getting them their rest,” Weiss said of his pitchers. “We want to maintain some momentum going into the postseason. We’re trying to find a sweet spot between being rested and being ready to go (for the playoffs).
“Position-player-wise, we’re just going to continue to play as usual.”
Jack Ralston (0-2, 4.50 ERA) will start for Miami on Saturday. The right-hander took the loss in his last outing, allowing two runs on three hits in 1 1/3 innings in a 2-1 defeat to the Chicago Cubs on Thursday.
He has never faced the Braves.
–Field Level Media
