Braves reporter sounds alarm on Chris Sale, Spencer Strider, Reynaldo Lopez in Spring Training

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Chris Sale

Braves reporter sounds alarm on Chris Sale, Spencer Strider, Reynaldo Lopez in Spring Training originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The Atlanta Braves have struggled to keep their pitchers healthy, and it has become a major area of concern over the past year. The issues in 2025 were so severe that former pitching coach Rick Kranitz’s job came under scrutiny.

“With that said, the Braves cannot be successful in 2026 without fixing whatever problems they have with keeping their pitchers healthy. The organizational depth clearly isn't built to withstand the rash of injuries that has hit Atlanta's rotation the past few seasons, and at the end of the day Kranitz may not be built for it either,” HTHB’s Chase Owens wrote.

After hiring Walt Weiss as manager, the Braves made it a priority to bring in top-tier, younger coaching talent. They added Jeremy Hefner as the new pitching coach.

“Braves hired Jeremy Hefner as pitching coach. Hefner, 39, spent past 6 seasons with Mets, who had MLB's 6th-best ERA in that span. They also hired Antoan Richardson, 42, as 1st-base coach. He spent past 2 seasons in that role with Mets and was also OF & baserunning instructor,” former Braves beat writer David O’Brien wrote.

While these hires were encouraging news for the Braves, a recurring theme has emerged during Spring Training: several starters don’t appear to be throwing as hard as usual.

“I've noticed a lot of Braves starters aren't throwing as hard as usual in spring, even Chris Sale. (Grant Holmes is the exception here). I'm starting to think this is intentional, but it's truly an unknown right now and I'm sure many folks will be worried until they show the gas,” Braves Today’s Lindsay Crosby wrote.

This could be a deliberate strategy from the pitching staff, but if it isn’t, the Braves will need to address it before the season begins.

If the rotation is going to struggle with underwhelming velocity, pitchers will need to focus on working the zone. With just a week until Opening Day, this is an area to watch closely.

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