Braves demote Bryce Elder to Gwinnett

Following Game 1 of the Braves doubleheader against the Padres, the Braves announced they have optioned Bryce Elder to Gwinnett. In a corresponding move, Darius Vines has rejoined the major-league team.

You could see the writing on the wall for Bryce Elder following Sunday night after he surrendered seven runs (six earned) on nine hits in three innings. It ballooned his ERA to 6.46 on the season with a WHIP just south of two. He’s simply not missing nearly enough bats and struggling with his command, similar to the way he ended last season.

Bryce Elder just turned 25 years old yesterday, so giving up on him so soon may be premature. With that being said, there are a lot of arms waiting for their opportunity on the farm, and Darius Vines is one of them.

Vines has made two starts for the Braves this season, owning a record of 0-1 with a 4.66 ERA. However, I would argue he pitched much better than the numbers suggest. He also didn’t catch any breaks against two potent offenses in the Astros and Rangers. In six starts for Gwinnett this season, Vines is also 0-1 with a 4.58 ERA.

We’ll see if this move is permanent, or if the Braves are just calling Vines up in case of an emergency to save some of their arms. Atlanta is in the middle of a stretch where they play 15 games over the next 14 days, so it’s very possible it’s someone else who gets the start in Bryce Elder’s place later this week.

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