3 questions facing the Braves' rotation this spring

NORTH PORT, Fla. -- Kyle Wright hasn’t made a start and Ian Anderson is no longer a lock to begin the regular season as Atlanta’s fifth starter. But Braves manager Brian Snitker is confident his starting rotation will take shape over the final three weeks of Spring Training.

Honestly, Snitker’s peers aren’t feeling sorry for him. Max Fried, Spencer Strider and Charlie Morton have all progressed through the Grapefruit League’s earliest stages in fine fashion. But there are still some questions to be answered.

1. Will Wright be ready for the start of the regular season?

Going back to the start of Spring Training, the Braves have said they expect Wright to start during one of the regular season’s first two series. Progress over the past three weeks has only strengthened that opinion. The right-hander will throw live batting practice on Friday, and then possibly make his spring debut next week.

If Wright pitches in a game next week, he’d have time to total three starts before Braves camp ends. The 27-year-old hurler could then pitch against Minor Leaguers after camp concludes to line himself up for a potential start during the St. Louis series (April 3-5).

Wright rested for three weeks in January after receiving a cortisone shot in his cranky right shoulder. He says his shoulder feels better than it has since 2020, enhancing hope he could be even better than he was last year, when he was MLB’s only 20-game winner.

• Wright 'whole, healthy and fresh' after shoulder injection

“I’ve only thrown sides, but the numbers [velocity and spin rates] are where they need to be,” Wright said. “They should only increase when I face hitters and the adrenaline starts flowing.”

Snitker doesn’t seem concerned.

“He says he feels good,” Snitker said. “We’re just kind of checking the boxes and getting him out there. Everybody feels like we'll have enough time to get him ready. I think once we get him out there for that first one, he’ll be fine.”

2. Who will begin the season as Atlanta’s fifth starter?

Multiple pitchers will fill the fifth spot in the Braves’ rotation throughout the season. But it will be interesting to see if Anderson, Bryce Elder or possibly somebody not currently in the organization will begin the season in that role.

Anderson became the heavy favorite when Michael Soroka’s candidacy died with the right hamstring strain he brought to camp. Soroka is throwing off a mound and could begin throwing in games soon. But the Braves are going to take their time with the injury-plagued hurler, who hasn’t pitched in a big league game since 2020.

When Anderson allowed a pair of homers in his spring debut, he extended the frustration he felt before being sent to Triple-A late last season. But as he recorded five strikeouts and allowed just one hit over 2 1/3 innings against the Yankees on Sunday, he looked more like the guy who has posted a 1.26 ERA through his first eight postseason starts.

“I think I put some pressure on myself going into the [first start],” Anderson said. “I saw the crack in the door, so to speak. This camp is super competitive. There’s no doubt about that. Why would you not want to be on this team? You got guys like [Austin] Riley and [Matt] Olson doing what they do and Mike [Michael Harris II]. It’s a fun team and the competition is high. If you take a false step, that could be it.”

3. Who is a dark horse candidate?

If Anderson doesn’t win the job, Elder could begin the season as the fifth starter. Soroka is starting to throw off a mound, but he’s likely more than a week away from his spring debut. So he likely wouldn’t be available before the second half of April.

Two guys who could fill a rotation spot later this season are Jared Shuster, the Braves’ top prospect per MLB Pipeline, or fellow southpaw Dylan Dodd, who is prepping for just his second professional season. Dodd struck out 26 percent of the batters he faced while combining to make 26 starts at the High-A, Double-A and Triple-A levels last year.

Dodd’s stock could rise if he fares well while starting against Team Dominican Republic on Wednesday. He currently ranks as the Braves’ No. 10 prospect.

“I saw his first live batting practice and I was like, ‘Who is this guy?’” Snitker said. “Then, I watched the second one and I was like, ‘Wow, that’s pretty good.’”