As MLB Opening Day is less than a week away, all 30 MLB team’s are preparing their rosters, which means tough decisions on players that have had solid production in spring training.
The Atlanta Braves are a little bit lucky in the sense that they know, for the most part, what their roster will look like come Opening Day.
On Friday, the team announced that top prospect JR Ritchie, along with several other players, had been reassigned to minor league camp. It didn’t seem likely that Ritchie would begin the season with the big-league club, but he certainly turned heads with Atlanta down in North Port, Florida, and it’s not far-fetched to believe he will have a real role with the team at some point during the 2026 season.
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Braves Reassign JR Ritchie, Several Others to Minor League Camp
The official statement by the Braves social media team was this:
“The Braves today optioned LHP Dylan Dodd to Triple-A Gwinnett, and reassigned RHP JR Ritchie, C Sandy León, INF Luke Williams, OF José Azócar and OF Ben Gamel to minor league camp. Atlanta now has 36 active players in camp.”
GettyWalt Weiss .
JR Ritchie, still just 22, has swiftly moved through the minor leagues. In 2025, he received 11 starts with Triple-A Gwinnett and posted a 3.02 ERA over 59.2 innings pitched. In 140 total innings in the minors last season, JR Ritchie boasted a 2.64 ERA and 140 strikeouts.
With question marks surrounding the Braves’ lineup, it seems like either Ritchie or Fuentes will be called up sooner rather than later during the 2026 season. Both have overpowering command, but are unproven at the MLB level.
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Chris Sale Earns Opening Day Nod
Also announced on Monday, Chris Sale will be the team’s Opening Day starter next Friday when Atlanta opens up the season against the Kansas City Royals.
It’s Sale’s first Opening Day start with the Braves in what will be his third season with the team. It’s a non-surprising announcement, as the Braves will be leaning heavily on Sale to anchor the rotation.
As of now, it seems like Bryce Elder is blocking the spot of both Fuentes and Ritchie, but that’s certainly subject to change if Elder does not perform.
MLBTradeRumors.com was quick to this news, and provided this insight on JR Ritchie as a lively arm:
“In the small sample of spring training, Ritchie did his best to force his way into the picture. He made four starts with a 2.25 ERA. His 11.6% walk rate was a bit high but he struck out 32.6% of batters faced and induced grounders on 45.5% of balls in play. The club had different paths available, with pros and cons to each. Ritchie is the upside play and he would have put the Prospect Promotion Incentive on the table, but giving him a shot would have meant sacrificing depth.”
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