Spring training is well underway for the Atlanta Braves, and it began with a bit of bad news. We learned that Spencer Schwellenbach will miss a good chunk of the season, and reliever Joe Jimenez may miss the entire season again.

That put the Braves in a tight spot as they now have to figure out a fifth starter option. There was hope they’d sign Chris Bassitt to fill that role, but he signed with the Orioles. Now, it appears Atlanta will have a competition for the final spot in the rotation.

Braves insider Mark Bowman released his first Opening Day roster prediction a few days ago. This first pass featured a pair of interesting choices for the bullpen to start the season. It is important to note that this list was compiled before Schwellenbach’s status changed which obviously changes things a good bit.

Braves insider thinks (at least before Schwellenbach’s injury) that Grant Holmes and Bryce Elder were destined for the bullpen

Bowman began with Atlanta’s catching tandem. Drake Baldwin and Sandy Leon are the presumed duo headed into the beginning of the season. Baldwin hopes to build off an incredible rookie campaign, and Leon is a veteran who could easily cover days off or allow Baldwin to DH. It’s important to note the recent addition of Jonah Heim, however. He could easily play his way onto the roster, and he has the benefit of being a switch-hitter.

The infield is pretty set with a great core of Matt Olson, Ozzie Albies, Mauricio Dubon, and Austin Riley. It would have been great to have Ha-Seong Kim in the mix, but Dubon could be a nice surprise for everyone. Infield depth is a little lacking with Jorge Mateo and Kyle Farmer filling those roles. But it shouldn’t be an issue as long as the infield stays healthy.

No real surprises in the outfield either. It’s a good mix of players, however, with Mike Yastrzemski, Jurickson Profar, Michael Harris II, Ronald Acuna Jr., and Eli White. Walt Weiss has a great mix of outfielders to work with. Profar will likely serve as DH at the beginning of the season, while Yaz takes over in left field. Once Murph returns from injury, that’ll allow Profar to play in the field a bit more.

We’ve reached the pitching section, which has some interesting choices and ones that are now moot. On the starting side, we won’t see Schwellenbach or Bassit, as predicted. Now, it’s being reported that the Braves will have their top four comprised of Chris Sale, Spencer Strider, Reynaldo Lopez, and Grant Holmes.

Atlanta needs to find another starter at some point, but there’s a chance they just stick with what they have. It’s a bold risk, especially with Holmes and Lopez returning from injury. There is a young trio of starters that can compete for that final spot, including Bryce Elder, Hurston Waldrep, and Joey Wentz.

Bullpen-wise, it’s a pretty good group headlined by Robert Suarez and Raisel Iglesias. Tyler Kinley, Dylan Lee, Grant Holmes, Aaron Bummer, Joel Payamps, and Bryce Elder rounded out Bowman’s prediction. Holmes and Elder are the most notable here. Obviously, Holmes is now expected to be in the rotation. This now forces Atlanta to fill two gaps in the bullpen. Elder is out of options, so it’s safe to assume he may land in the bullpen if he doesn’t win the fifth starter spot.

Waldrep and Wentz could easily slot in as long relievers. Waldrep feels destined to start the season at Triple-A, as Atlanta wouldn’t want to dampen his development as a starter and he still has minor league options available. Wentz has experience out of the bullpen and feels like a good choice. These recent injuries have really complicated things a bit. But hopefully, the Braves are able to find a way to make it work.