Braves’ Young Bullpen on Opening Day

The Atlanta Braves are heading into the season with a notably youthful bullpen. They’ve officially added 20-year-old right-hander Didier Fuentes to their roster, as reported by ESPN’s Jeff Passan.

There are indications that Fuentes will find a spot in the team’s bullpen. He had an impressive showing during spring training, pitching nine hitless innings across three games and striking out 17 batters without issuing any walks.

Although Fuentes is the Braves’ No. 3 prospect, he had a challenging stint last season with the major league club, posting a 13.50 ERA in four starts, according to MLB Pipeline.

New Braves captain Walt Weiss noted some resemblances between Fuentes and starter Spencer Strider, mentioning that “there are some similarities there,” referencing how both players made their mark in Major League Baseball.

Fuentes averaged 96 mph on his fastball during his brief MLB appearance last year and has made just 10 starts since moving up from High-A ball, including five in both Double-A and Triple-A.

As Opening Day approaches, the Braves have faced considerable challenges this season. Right-handers Spencer Schwellenbach and Hurston Waldrep have been placed on the 60-day injured list following elbow surgeries.

Additionally, lefty Joey Wentz is likely sidelined for the rest of the year after tearing his ACL in a Grapefruit League game.

This injury wave extends to their batting lineup, too. Kim Ha-sung, who was brought in to play shortstop, suffered an accident in South Korea back in January and is recovering after surgery on his finger, with no concrete timeline for his return yet.

Furthermore, outfielder Jurickson Profar has faced his own troubles, receiving a 162-game suspension from MLB after failing a performance-enhancing drug test for the second consecutive season.