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40 articles
ATL • Pitcher • #55
1 day ago
In a battle of 2026’s biggest surprises to date, Elder easily outdueled Justin Wrobleski, even though he was pulled 3 1/3 innings earlier than the Dodgers hurler. Elder fanned eight for the third time in nine starts this season. He reached that total just twice in 28 starts last year. The victory moves him to 4-1 with a 1.81 ERA. His strikeout rate is up nicely, but his groundball rate has fallen some as a result, and he seems due to start giving up more homers. Long-term mixed-league value still seems rather unlikely. His next start will come at home versus the Red Sox.
ATL • Pitcher • #55
6 days ago
Elder held the Mariners scoreless over two frames, then surrendered a two-run homer to JP Crawford. He’d go on to strand just two more baserunners over three more scoreless frames, leaving after six at 93 pitches with nine strikeouts. The 26-year-old right-hander has been off to a surprisingly good start, posting a 2.02 ERA, 1.02 WHIP, and a 45/16 K/BB ratio across 49 innings. Elder will look to keep it going against the Cubs in Atlanta next Tuesday.
ATL • Pitcher • #55
12 days ago
Elder struck out five, lowering his ERA to 1.88 on the season. While there’s some obvious regression coming eventually, it’s worth pointing out that Elder has mixed up his arsenal this season, adding a cutter while decreasing his sinker usage. Pitching models still aren’t buying it, but his ERA estimators mostly are. Elder leads a wounded Atlanta rotation in innings this year. He’ll look to keep rolling in Seattle next time out.
ATL • Pitcher • #55
16 days ago
Elder struck out two against one walk while giving up six hits. It’s a solid outing despite the lack of swings and misses — Elder generated only six of them during Saturday’s outing — and it still sees his ERA rise from 1.50 to 1.95. He’s due for a clunker, but Elder has unquestionably done a nice job over the first month. He does have a potentially tricky one scheduled for Friday against the Rockies in Colorado.
ATL • Pitcher • #55
21 days ago
Responding to two pitches that hit Ronald Acuña Jr. on his hands, Elder was allowed to get away with intentionally plunking CJ Abrams in the sixth. Abrams came around to score, but since it was on an Austin Riley error, that was the unearned run. Elder continued into the seventh, retiring Drew Millas and Nasim Nuñez before being pulled before he could face James Wood for a fourth time. No Braves fans wanted Elder in the Atlanta rotation a month ago, but he’s now 3-1 with a 1.50 ERA in five starts. A soft schedule has surely helped; he previously faced the Athletics, D-backs, Guardians and Marlins once apiece. In theory, things are about to get tougher, as he’ll face the Phillies and the Rockies in Coors Field his next two times out. Still, those don’t seem like bad matchups right now.
ATL • Pitcher • #55
26 days ago
Is Elder… good now? Sure, it was still the Marlins, but he was in complete control yet again. He allowed just two total hard-hit balls and very little traffic on the bases. Something has clicked with his slider which has become his primary pitch this season rather than the sinker he’s leaned on in the past. That slider was nasty diving low and below the zone all night while forcing all nine of his swings-and-misses. He’s lined up for a two-start week against the Nationals and Phillies coming up.
ATL • Pitcher • #55
about 1 month ago
Elder retired nine of the first 12 batters he faced on the evening. A solo homer allowed to Kyle Manzardo in the fourth inning marked the first run Elder allowed on the evening, but things would get dicey in the fifth. After getting Bo Naylor to ground out to start the frame, Elder would allow a single to Angel Martínez on the next at-bat, and then walked Bryan Rocchio to put runners on first and second. Steven Kwan then singled to drive in Martínez and give the Guardians a 2-1 lead. Elder would walk Chase DeLauter but then struck out José Ramírez before giving way to Aaron Bummer to close out the frame. Elder was solid for most of the night, stifling the Guardians for much of the evening before losing control a bit in the fifth. It was the shortest outing of the season for Elder, who also allowed his first earned runs of the season. He’s slated to make his next start on Wednesday against the Marlins.
ATL • Pitcher • #55
about 1 month ago
Tough to give up no earned runs and lose a baseball game, but it was Elder’s fault. Not only did the right-hander put the runners on, it was his error on a bunt from Jose Fernandez that scored the two runs. Still, this was an excellent start from the 26-year-old; one that saw him strike out eight and issue one walk. He generated 13 swing and misses, and he has yet to give up an earned run in his first two starts. It’s hard to take it too seriously considering how mediocre Elder has been, but the results are the results. He gets the Guardians on Friday.
ATL • Pitcher • #55
about 1 month ago
Elder gave up some hard contact, but he was able to limit the damage to five hits — just one for extra bases — and he issued only one walk. The 26-year-old was mostly unuseable in 2025 with a 5.30 ERA and 1.39 WHIP in 2026, but because of injuries, he’s got a spot in the Atlanta rotation for the foreseeable future. He’d be a very risky streamer at beest against Arizona over the weekend.
ATL • Pitcher • #55
about 2 months ago
The 26-year-old right-hander piled up six strikeouts on the evening while issuing a pair of walks. The lone tally against him came as Braiden Ward plated a run with a fielder’s choice in the third inning. Aside from that, Elder was superb. He got nine swings and misses on 78 pitches in the contest, posting a CSW of 31 percent. For the spring, he now holds a 4.73 ERA, 1.28 WHIP and a 12/5 K/BB ratio over 13 1/3 innings. As is often the case, Elder is likely to occupy a spot in the Braves’ rotation to open the season due to the plethora of injuries they are once again dealing with.
ATL • Pitcher • #55
2 months ago
Elder walked three, which just doesn’t fly form someone as hittable as he is. If Joey Wentz is out of the mix after injuring his knee today, Elder’s rotation chances would improve. There’s little in the way of fantasy potential here, though.
ATL • Pitcher • #55
2 months ago
Elder has opened up with five scoreless innings as he tries to secure the fifth spot in Atlanta’s rotation. He gave up six hard-hit balls today, but he was able to limit the Tigers to three singles, and he walked no one.
ATL • Pitcher • #55
3 months ago
Assuming the current group stays healthy, there’s probably one rotation spot available in Atlanta for Elder, Martín Pérez, Carlos Carrasco, Joey Wentz, José Suarez and anyone else who steps up. Elder figures to make the team either way, since he’s out of options, but he’d surely prefer to be a starter.
ATL • Pitcher • #55
8 months ago
Elder allowed two homers among his six hits, and he didn’t issue a walk. It’s the final start of the season for the 26-year-old in what was an uneven — at best — campaign for the right-hander. He finishes with a 5.30 ERA along with a 131/51 K/BB ratio across 156 1/3 innings. Elder should have a spot in the Atlanta rotation to open 2026, but it’ll be hard to justify him as a fantasy option to begin that campaign.
ATL • Pitcher • #55
8 months ago
Elder piled up six strikeouts on the evening and didn’t walk a batter. The Braves staked him to an early six-run lead and all he needed to do was keep the train on the tracks to earn a victory on this one. The only blemish on his night was a solo homer off the bat of Spencer Torkelson in the fourth inning. The 26-year-old right-hander got nine whiffs on 98 pitches on the night, posting a CSW of 26 percent. He’ll look to finish the season strong as he carries a 5.36 ERA, 1.42 WHIP and a 124/51 K/BB ratio (149 1/3 innings) into Wednesday’s matchup against the Nationals.
ATL • Pitcher • #55
8 months ago
At least he helped out fantasy managers in the strikeout department, punching out seven batters on the evening while issuing three free passes. The Astros jumped on him for three runs in the second inning then continued the onslaught with three more in the third — capped off by a two-run blast from Christian Walker. Elder got 17 swings and misses on 89 pitches in the game — 13 of those on his slider — while posting a strong CSW of 35 percent. He’ll attempt to get back on track as he carries a 5.56 ERA, 1.45 WHIP and a 118/51 K/BB ratio (142 1/3 innings) into Friday’s matchup against the Tigers in Detroit.
ATL • Pitcher • #55
8 months ago
Elder was staked to a three-run cushion by the second inning, which was more than enough for him as he kept Chicago off the scoreboard entirely until the seventh inning when reliever Pierce Johnson allowed an inherited runner to cross the plate. The underrated 26-year-old hurler has reeled off four consecutive quality starts and has allowed two earned runs or fewer in six of his last eight outings since August 1. He’ll face the Astros on Sunday to close out a two-start week.
ATL • Pitcher • #55
8 months ago
What a gem by Elder. The only reason the Cubs were able to muster one run against him is because Eli White tried to throw behind Ian Happ at first base after a bloop hit to left field and sailed it out of play. Otherwise, just one Cub reached scoring position as they were hopeless against Elder. He commanded his sinker beautifully along the edges of the plate and it set up both his changeup and slider to dart below the zone. Elder has now made three consecutive fantastic starts against the Mets, Phillies, and Cubs after getting hammered for eight runs by the White Sox. That’s baseball for you. He’s scheduled for a rematch against these same Cubs next week.
ATL • Pitcher • #55
9 months ago
Elder spotted his sinker and slider well low-and-away from this left-handed heavy Phillies lineup. He wasn’t able to put many hitters away, but they struggled to square him up or put any runs on the board. This now makes four out of six starts by Elder where he allowed two runs or fewer. On the flip side, he was hammered for 13 runs in those other two starts which came against the White Sox and Marlins. It’ll be a risky proposition to consider him next time out when he faces the Mariners at home.
ATL • Pitcher • #55
9 months ago
Both runs came on a second-inning homer from Mark Vientos. Elder allowed just two other hits, walked two and struck out six. He has two quality starts against the Mets and one against the Reds this month, but since he gave up a total of 13 runs to the White Sox and Marlins, his ERA has held pretty steady since the end of July, decreasing only from 6.29 to 6.12. He’ll likely face the Phillies next weekend.
ATL • Pitcher • #55
9 months ago
The 26-year-old right-hander walked two and struck out three batters on the night. The White Sox got to him for three runs in the third inning — the final two on a two-run double by Kyle Teel — but Elder still strolled into the fifth inning with a 4-3 advantage. That is until the White Sox erupted for five more to chase him and put the game seemingly out of reach. Elder got seven swings and misses on 84 pitches on the night, registering an uninspiring CSW of 25 percent. He’ll try to pick up the pieces as he carries a 6.29 ERA, 1.56 WHIP and a 90/43 K/BB ratio (111 2/3 innings) into Monday’s matchup against the Marlins in Miami. His rotation spot also seems to be in serious jeopardy once Chris Sale is ready to return.
ATL • Pitcher • #55
9 months ago
Elder bounced back nicely from his shaky — at best — start Friday against the Marlins. He struck out six, and he scattered five hits while allowing a solo homer in the third to Francisco Lindor and two more runs in the sixth. It was a solid effort, but there just haven’t been enough of these in 2025. A 5.89 ERA is pretty obvious evidence of that. He’ll try and repeat this effort against the White Sox next week.
ATL • Pitcher • #55
9 months ago
Elder gave up seven hits, walked two and struck out three. The 26-year-old right-hander has allowed at least five runs in two of his last three starts. Elder has a 6.12 ERA and 81/39 K/BB ratio in 100 innings this year. He’s lined up to face the Mets on the road next week.
ATL • Pitcher • #55
9 months ago
Rarely in trouble today, Elder allowed one run on a single, walk, single combination in the sixth. The remaining run came in the seventh, when Elder retired two straight after a leadoff walk, only to get pulled with Will Benson coming up. Benson immediately hit a two-run homer off Dylan Dodd, leaving the Braves in a 3-0 hole. Elder dropped to 4-8 with a 6.03 ERA. He’ll face the Marlins next.
ATL • Pitcher • #55
10 months ago
Elder also issued four walks in the forgettable outing while striking out three. The Rangers jumped on him early and often in this one as Wyatt Langford smacked a three-run double in the first inning, Josh Smith added a two-run blast in the second and the Rangers tacked on three more while chasing Elder in the third. He got just six swings and misses on 63 pitches on the afternoon, posting a CSW of 24 percent. Elder now sports an unappealing 6.29 ERA, 1.61 WHIP and a 73/35 K/BB ratio over 87 1/3 innings in 17 starts for the Braves this season. He’ll look to right the ship when he takes on the Reds in Cincinnati on Friday.
ATL • Pitcher • #55
10 months ago
Elder was given five runs to work with in the first and three more in the fourth, which was especially lucky for him; it’s hard to imagine the Braves would have let him complete five innings in a closer game. Elder wound up surrendering eight hits, walking three and striking out one in the 108-pitch outing. The win makes him 4-6 with a 5.63 ERA ahead of a start against the Rangers.
ATL • Pitcher • #55
10 months ago
Elder didn’t have to pitch to the best of his abilities with Atlanta putting up a nine-spot during Wednesday’s bout, but he was pretty darn good, anyway. The 26-year-old struck out seven, and that helped him work around eight hits while blanking the A’s over the first four innings. Elder still has a 5.65 ERA on the season, and it’s hard to take him too seriously as a fantasy option even after this solid outing.
ATL • Pitcher • #55
10 months ago
The 26-year-old right-hander struck out five batters on the evening, though he also issued three free passes. Elder struggled to keep the ball in the yard as Nolan Schanuel tagged him for a two-run shot in the second inning and Zach Neto added a solo blast in the fourth. He got 13 swings and misses on 101 pitches on the evening, posting a CSW of 28 percent. He’ll look to bounce back as he carries an unimpressive 5.92 ERA, 1.52 WHIP and a 62/27 K/BB ratio (73 innings) into Wednesday’s matchup against the Athletics in West Sacramento.
ATL • Pitcher • #55
11 months ago
Elder gave up eight hits, walked four and struck out two. The 26-year-old right-hander has allowed 18 earned runs in 10 2/3 innings over his last three starts. Elder now has a 5.82 ERA on the season, though his 3.86 xFIP suggests he hasn’t been quite that bad. Still, Elder is difficult to trust in all fantasy formats at the moment. He’s lined up to face the Angels at home next week if he remains in the rotation.
ATL • Pitcher • #55
11 months ago
Since his career-best outing against the Giants, Elder has allowed nine runs on 17 hits in 8 2/3 innings against the Rockies and Marlins. That’s not exactly the follow-up that fantasy managers were expecting. The injury to Chris Sale means that Elder will remain in the rotation, but he does not need to be in your lineups next week against the Phillies.