ATLANTA (AP) — Bryce Elder is pitching like an All-Star again.
Considered the weak link in the Atlanta rotation coming into the season, Elder has turned in four dominating starts to rekindle memories of his surprising 2023 season.
Elder hurled scoreless ball into the sixth inning on Wednesday night, leading the Braves to a 6-3 victory over the Miami Marlins.
“This feels a little more complete,” the 26-year-old right-hander said. “I have more weapons. We'll just try to keep it going.”
Elder was a huge surprise for the Braves three years ago, earning an All-Star berth in his first full season while going 12-4.
But he struggled mightily the last two seasons while bouncing back and forth between the majors and Triple-A Gwinnett. His ERA soared to 6.52 while making just 10 big league starts in 2024, followed by an 8-11 mark with a 5.30 ERA a year ago.
Elder might've been done in Atlanta if not for a rash of injuries that ravaged the starting rotation, allowing him to claim the fourth slot in a makeshift group as the Braves wrapped up spring training.
His performance over four starts — a 2-1 record with a 0.77 ERA — has manager Walt Weiss feeling good about his chances of remaining the rotation even when ailing pitchers such as Spencer Strider and Spencer Schwellenbach return to the mound.
“He's in a really good place,” Weiss said of Elder.
He believes the Texan is a more complete pitcher than he was in '23, with a diverse arsenal that helps him get by with a fastball in the low 90 mph range.
Elder has paired an improved slider with a change-up and three different fastballs — a two-seamer, a four-seamer and a cutter — to keep hitters off balance. Despite the lack of overpowering stuff, he has 23 strikeouts in 23 1-3 innings.
“All his stuff has really picked up,” Weiss said. “He's throwing the ball really well.”
Elder doesn't want to get too far ahead of himself. Better than almost anyone, he knows how quickly things can change. This time, he wants to show a bit of staying power.
“I've had a lot of good runs and I've had a lot bad runs,” Elder said. “More than anything, I'm just trying to treat it like one day at a time. Just keep my stuff crisp, keep my work right, and whatever happens that day is what happens.”
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Atlanta Braves pitcher Bryce Elder (55) delivers in the fifth inning of a baseball game against the Cleveland Guardians, Friday, April 10, 2026, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)
Atlanta Braves pitcher Bryce Elder (55) works in the fifth inning of a baseball game against the Cleveland Guardians, Friday, April 10, 2026, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)
Atlanta Braves pitcher Bryce Elder delivers in the first inning of a baseball game against the Miami Marlins, Wednesday, April 15, 2026, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Colin Hubbard)
ATLANTA (AP) — Bryce Elder pitched scoreless ball into the sixth inning, three Atlanta players homered and the Braves won another series with a 6-3 victory over the Miami Marlins on Wednesday night.
Ozzie Albies, Austin Riley and Matt Olson went deep for the first-place Braves, who took two of three from Miami for their fifth series win. They split their other series, a four-game set at Arizona.
Considered the weak link in the rotation coming into the season, Elder (2-1) lowered his ERA through four starts to 0.77. He limited the Marlins to four hits over 5 2/3 innings, with two walks and seven strikeouts.
Albies put the home team ahead with his fourth homer of the season, a 370-foot drive off Chris Paddack (0-3) that just cleared the right-field wall. The Braves followed with three straight singles, including Mauricio Dubón's run-scoring liner that made it 2-0.
The Marlins appeared to halve the deficit in the fifth when Xavier Edwards was ruled safe at first on an attempted double play with the bases loaded. The Braves challenged, and the call was overturned when the replay showed the throw from shortstop Dubón landing in Olson's glove just before Edwards' cleats landed on first base for the third out.
Riley, off to a sluggish start, tacked on his first homer of the season in the sixth by sending one into the left-field seats off John King. Olson added a two-run homer against Andrew Nardi in the seventh.
Miami's Liam Hicks broke up the shutout in the eighth with a two-run homer. Robert Suárez escaped further trouble with an inning-ending double play, and Raisel Iglesias struck out the side in the ninth for his fourth save.
Marlins: RHP Janson Junk (0-2, 4.32 ERA) will make his fourth start of the season Friday when Miami hosts the Milwaukee Brewers to begin a three-game series.
Braves: After an off day, Atlanta heads to Philadelphia to open a three-game series Friday. LHP Martin Perez (0-1, 3.14) will rejoin the big league roster to go against RHP Taijuan Walker (1-2, 7.36).
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb
Atlanta Braves' Ozzie Albies rounds the bases after hitting a solo home run in the second inning of a baseball game against the Miami Marlins, Wednesday, April 15, 2026, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Colin Hubbard)
Atlanta Braves pitcher Bryce Elder delivers in the first inning of a baseball game against the Miami Marlins, Wednesday, April 15, 2026, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Colin Hubbard)
Atlanta Braves' Mauricio Dubón hits an RBI single in the second inning of a baseball game against the Miami Marlins, Wednesday, April 15, 2026, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Colin Hubbard)
Atlanta Braves' Ozzie Albies hits a solo home run in the second inning of a baseball game against the Miami Marlins, Wednesday, April 15, 2026, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Colin Hubbard)
Miami Marlins pitcher Chris Paddack delivers in the first inning of a baseball game against the Atlanta Braves, Wednesday, April 15, 2026, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Colin Hubbard)
