With abundance of depth, who could get final spots in Atlanta's rotation?

NORTH PORT, Fla. -- With Ian Anderson out of options, it has been easy to assume he will fill one of Atlanta¡¯s available rotation spots. And with Grant Holmes being given a chance to work as a starter during Spring Training, there¡¯s been reason to think he could fill that other spot.

But what if AJ Smith-Shawver continues to impress like he did during his Grapefruit League debut on Wednesday? And what if 2023 All-Star Bryce Elder shows out over the next few weeks?

¡°They¡¯re all throwing the ball really well, which is a good thing,¡± Braves manager Brian Snitker said. ¡°We¡¯ve still got a few weeks to go, so anything can happen. I¡¯m just keeping an open mind. I¡¯m just going to watch all of them. It¡¯s one of those things with performance -- they¡¯ll tell us where they are.¡±

Chris Sale, Reynaldo L¨®pez and Spencer Schwellenbach currently stand as the only health-permitting locks for the Opening Day rotation. Spencer Strider is expected to return from elbow surgery a few weeks into the regular season. So, one of the two candidates who earns a rotation spot out of Spring Training could end up moving to the bullpen or be sent to the Minors by the end of April.

¡°We¡¯re going to start somewhere and hopefully keep all of the depth,¡± Snitker said.

Like Anderson, Holmes is out of options. This means neither can be sent to the Minors without first passing through waivers. So, as long as they are healthy, Atlanta will maintain its depth by placing both on the Opening Day roster.

This doesn¡¯t necessarily mean both would have to be in the rotation to begin the season. If the Braves feel they are short in the bullpen, they¡¯d have the option to begin the season with Holmes as a reliever.

But it wouldn¡¯t necessarily make sense to stretch Holmes out and then use him as a reliever until necessary. So, the assumption remains that he will begin the season as a starter, and possibly move to the bullpen when Strider returns.

¡°Hopefully, we have too many [deserving candidates],¡± Snitker said. ¡°That would be a good thing.¡±

The Braves have used at least 10 starting pitchers every season going back to 2015. So, every current rotation candidate will almost assuredly make big league starts this year. There will also be some surprise developments.

Nobody expected Elder to begin the 2023 season with Triple-A Gwinnett and then become one of eight Atlanta All-Star representatives that year. Schwellenbach wasn¡¯t even on the average fan¡¯s radar at this time last year: He then made 21 big league starts after beginning the season with High-A Rome.

Anderson is among this year¡¯s candidates who could exceed expectations. The 26-year-old hurler hasn¡¯t experienced an injury-free season since helping the Braves win the 2021 World Series. The 1.26 ERA he has produced in eight postseason starts is a reminder of how effective he can be in big games.

This is why it was encouraging to see Anderson generate a livelier fastball while throwing three scoreless innings against the Marlins on Friday. His four-seam fastball averaged 93.6 mph and touched 94.9 mph through the first two innings. The velocity dipped slightly (92-92.5 mph) during a seven-pitch third frame. But that¡¯s to be expected in February, as pitchers are still conditioning their bodies and arms.

Anderson¡¯s four-seamer averaged 94.6 mph in 2021. Friday¡¯s outing gave him the confidence he is finally nearing that point when he had most recently pitched without any health limitations.

¡°I kind of just want to get back in the mindset of attacking, regardless of who is in the box,¡± Anderson said. ¡°Taking that into the start and having the results just reinforced that. I was thinking about mechanics and I was thinking about a lot of other stuff. But right here [pointing to his head] can do a lot.¡±

Holmes followed Anderson¡¯s three scoreless innings by also blanking the Marlins over three frames. The 28-year-old hurler has allowed just two hits and one run over five innings through his first two Grapefruit League appearances. That one run came courtesy of a solo homer by Rays slugger Junior Caminero, who created excitement with the game-winning home run he hit in the Dominican Winter League championship in January.

Smith-Shawver recorded three strikeouts over two scoreless innings against the Pirates on Wednesday. The 22-year-old right-hander has the greatest upside of all the candidates. The Braves will have to determine when the time is right to call upon him again.

¡°He¡¯s maturing, which is what you kind of hope for,¡± Snitker said.