Braves' Hurston Waldrep May Start Season in Minors Despite Strong 2025

Hurston Waldrep, 23, could begin the season at Triple-A Gwinnett, per MLB.com's Mark Bowman. Despite a solid 2025 (2.88 ERA, 1.19 WHIP, 55:22 K:BB over 56.1 innings), Waldrep's minor-league options make him a potential roster casualty. The Braves have Chris Sale and Spencer Strider locked in, with Spencer Schwellenbach, Reynaldo Lopez, and Grant Holmes expected to fill other slots. Waldrep is the only depth starter with options, suggesting an early rotation spot would mean 'something disastrous' has happened to others.