So far, so good for Braves’ oft-questioned rotation

Braves starters surrendered four runs over 23 innings during the team’s 3-1 start. They’ve struck out 18 while walking eight. Sale and Elder combined to pitch 12 scoreless frames, which ultimately resulted in two shutouts.

It’s far too early to make any declarations, but were outside concerns about this rotation possibly overstated?

“I get it; with the injuries last year and guys coming back from injury-filled seasons, I get the concern,” manager Walt Weiss said. “The talent is obviously there. These guys have done it before. I think that was the biggest question, just the health. You’re seeing these guys when they’re healthy now. They’re really good. And hopefully, that’s going to be a big part of this thing, man.

“Everything starts with starting pitching. The entire game just falls into place when you get good starting pitching. The bullpen roles are pretty straightforward. You can do some things on offense, continue to put pressure on teams offensively when you have a lead. It all starts with starting pitching, so until the end of time, starting pitching will be the most valuable commodity in this game. So it’s nice to see the starts we’re getting.”

Sale, the ace, set the tone with six scoreless innings on opening night against the Royals. López, subject of velocity questions a mere week earlier, allowed just one run over six frames a day later (with his velocity hovering in the mid-90s and peaking at 97).

Holmes provided five innings Sunday, surrendering three runs. His four-seamer averaged 94.4 mph. Then to top it off, Elder — he of constant criticism throughout his topsy—turvy career — sliced through a power-laden A’s lineup Monday. He allowed five hits over six scoreless innings.

“I think it’s encouraging,” Elder said of the rotation’s start. “Obviously, we’ve been a little banged up, but guys have stepped up and got the job done.”

Elder’s outing might have been the most meaningful. The team is down Spencer Schwellenbach and Hurston Waldrep, both of whom are expected to return this summer, and Joey Wentz, whose season is over due to a torn ACL.

Elder, once considered more for depth than a necessary contributor, is in a more relevant role now. He doesn’t need to match Sale pitch for pitch, but he will need to provide some reliability to help stabilize this group. Elder’s a true innings eater, taking his turn every fifth day while avoiding the injured list. That has a lot of value to the Braves right now given they simply don’t have ample depth.

Performance-wise, Elder feels he’s discovering a level he hasn’t reached since the first half of 2023, when he earned an All-Star nod. He had a 2.82 ERA over his final seven starts last season, covering seven innings four times, so there was reason for optimism coming into the year. Still, consistency has eluded Elder through the years, and the team needs a bit more, given their circumstances.

He provided that Monday, following his peers’ lead. The Braves will hope these results extrapolate over the coming weeks and months. Sale is a Cy Young contender, after all. Lopez has been an All-Star. Holmes has been eye-popping at times. Elder has turned the corner and should be a more than a suitable mid-to-back-end starter.

Even with journeyman Jose Suarez getting the first opportunity as the fifth starter Tuesday, the Braves should be happy about their core four — if they can maintain their debut-level performances. And if they can stay healthy. The Braves saw proof of concept over the past few days.

“I think we showed in spring training that they’re going to be pretty good,” veteran catcher Jonah Heim said. “Obviously, a bit of injuries to start the year, but we had a next-man-up mentality. I think that it’s proven to be pretty good so far. We’ve come out of the gate pretty strong, all four guys, so we’ll see how (Tuesday) goes.”