The Atlanta Braves are close to finalizing their 2026 Opening Day roster. Saturday was a busy day for the ball club, as they made multiple roster decisions.

According to Mark Bowman of MLB.com, veteran left-handed pitcher Martin Perez did not make the Opening Day roster. Meanwhile, Jeff Passan of ESPN reports that Braves’ No. 3 overall prospect Didier Fuentes has made the ball club, but he will pitch out of the bullpen.

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As a result, it seems as if Bryce Elder will be the No. 5 starter, joining Chris Sale, Spencer Strider, Reynaldo Lopez and Grant Holmes in the rotation. The Braves’ pitching staff received no shortage of clarity with the moves made on Saturday.

Fuentes impressed throughout spring training. The right-hander did not allow a run in his nine innings on the mound. He also did not walk any hitters and led the team with 17 strikeouts. He ultimately appeared in three games, starting one contest.

It remains to be seen if Fuentes will become a starting pitcher at some point. For now, the Braves are going to have him pitch out of the bullpen. His spring performance suggests that he is more than prepared for the challenge.

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In fact, Fuentes could be an X-factor out of the bullpen. He’s a pitcher who can provide multiple innings if necessary.

Perez also performed well this spring. He turned in a 2.84 ERA across 12.2 innings of work. He is going to remain with the Braves’ organization despite not making the Opening Day roster. The fact that he did not make the roster is fairly surprising, especially since Elder struggled in the spring.

Elder recorded a 4.73 ERA in his four spring training starts. He added 12 strikeouts and five walks. His performance was clearly underwhelming, but the Braves still believe he can make an impact. He is expected to receive at least one more opportunity with Atlanta this year.

One has to imagine that the Braves will not hesitate to go in a different direction if Elder struggles early in the ’26 regular season.

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Overall, the Braves’ Opening Day roster is beginning to take shape. There are still some questions to answer, but Atlanta is almost ready for their first series of the season.

The Braves will host the Kansas City Royals on Friday to begin their 2026 MLB season. First pitch is scheduled for 7:15 PM EST.