Elder throws scoreless gem in return to Majors

ATLANTA -- Bryce Elder wasn’t happy when he learned he would begin this season at the Triple-A level. But he quickly viewed this development as just a brief detour during what could be a long and prosperous career.

“I was upset at first,” Elder said. “I think that's always going to kind of be my reaction. But I also kind of sat down and realized that I'm still 24, and I plan on playing this game for a really long time. So if you look up, hopefully in about 12 or 15 years, nobody's ever gonna remember this.”

It’s part of what has made Elder’s journey special so far. The young hurler went from being Triple-A Gwinnett’s Opening Day starter to being an MLB All-Star within a few months last year.

It’s too early to know what this next chapter might bring. But as Elder threw 6 2/3 scoreless innings in a 3-0 win over the Marlins on Monday night at Truist Park, it looked like he’s again ready to prove he can be a valuable part of Atlanta’s rotation.

“It says a lot about him and the dedication he has and the focus, everything,” Braves manager Brian Snitker said. “When we sent him down, he said, ‘I’ll be ready when you need me,’ and he was.”

Ronald Acuña Jr. broke the Atlanta-era record (since 1966) when he recorded his 190th career stolen base in the first inning.

Travis d’Arnaud’s decisive two-run homer in the fourth was also historic. Per Elias, the veteran catcher became the only Braves player since 1953 (when the franchise moved to Milwaukee) to hit five or more home runs in an eight at-bat span.

But the evening’s most significant development from a long-term standpoint was Elder’s successful return to the Majors. He was sent to the Minors once the Braves committed to their plan to begin the season with Reynaldo López as a starter.

López is thriving in the rotation, and Elder now has a shot to fill the significant void created by Spencer Strider’s season-ending elbow injury. The Braves’ decision to promote Elder for Monday’s start created an opportunity to provide López, Chris Sale and Charlie Morton extra rest for each of their next respective turns.

This return to the Majors gives Elder a chance to prove he can sustain success longer than he did last year, which was his first full MLB season. He earned an All-Star selection when he posted a 2.45 ERA through his first 17 starts. But he fatigued down the stretch and posted a 5.75 ERA in his final 14 starts of the season.

“I will for sure be more prepared this year, come July, August and September, just as far as how many starts you have to make,” Elder said. “You’re going 100 miles an hour with no steering wheel. It’s just go, go, go. Physically, I was somewhat ready for it. Mentally, I had never done anything like that.”

Elder’s psyche didn’t appear to be an issue after he allowed three straight hits, including a Jazz Chisholm Jr. double, before recording the night’s first out. A baserunning blunder led to Luis Arraez being thrown out at the plate on the double.

“They strung some hits together, and he was able to get out of it,” d’Arnaud said. “Good for him, staying calm, cool and collected that whole inning.”

The easy-going Elder didn’t flinch the rest of the way. He induced a couple double play groundouts and didn’t allow the Marlins to reach third base over the remainder of his outing.

“He was incredible,” Acuña said. “It was everything we’ve grown accustomed to seeing. I hope he keeps pitching well and I hope he stays up here with the team.”

Elder has shown he is capable of consistently delivering strong starts. Last year might not have ended like he had hoped. But he was a key reason why the Braves won a MLB-best 104 games despite getting a combined 21 starts from Max Fried and Kyle Wright.

This latest outing wasn’t anything new for Elder, who has now tossed six-plus scoreless innings in six different starts since the start of the 2023 season. This ties him with Strider for the team-high. Morton is the only other Atlanta hurler with four such starts within this span.