The Atlanta Braves have been piecing together their starting rotation all season long, but they are struggling quite a bit to find guys who can consistently deliver for them when it's their turn to take the mound. On Tuesday night, Bryce Elder got the ball, but he got rocked by the Milwaukee Brewers (3.2 IP, 8 H, 7 ER, 6 K, 2 BB), resulting in a demoralizing 10-0 defeat for the Braves.

It's been a rough season overall for Elder (2-5, 6.52 ERA, 46 K, 1.63 WHIP), who was fresh off an All-Star campaign in 2023. He simply has not been able to find his way this season, and after he was destroyed by Milwaukee, Atlants responded by sending him back down to Triple-A, calling up Dylan Dodd to take his place in the majors.

Via Atlanta Braves:

“The Braves today recalled LHP Dylan Dodd to Atlanta after optioning RHP Bryce Elder to Triple-A Gwinnett following last night’s game.”

Bryce Elder not getting the job done for the Braves

Atlanta Braves starting pitcher Bryce Elder (55) throws against the Milwaukee Brewers in the first inning at Truist Park.
Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports
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Elder shockingly didn't earn a spot in Atlanta's starting rotation to begin the year, and he hasn't really recovered from that. He's split his time between the majors and Triple-A this season, but in his ten major league starts, he's largely been abysmal. The problem is that Atlanta needs someone to fill in the final spot of their rotation as they attempt to hold onto the third National League wild card spot.

Losing Spencer Strider early in the season hurt, but for the most part, Atlanta's pitching responded well. The problem is that with Reynaldo Lopez on the injured list for the time being, they don't have five solid starters they can rely on. Chris Sale, Charlie Morton, Max Fried, and Spencer Schwellenbach are trying to hold down the fort, but somebody else is going to have to step up for the team.

Dodd will get a shot to do what Elder couldn't do, but he hasn't pitched a game in the majors this season, largely because he posted a 7.60 ERA over seven starts last season. At this point, the Braves can only hope Lopez is close to returning, or else they could be in some trouble. Elder's sudden fall from grace has been quite shocking, but his latest start against Milwaukee proves he can't be trusted as the games get more and more important, and fans will be surely hoping he can figure things out now that he's back in the minors.