The Braves’ pitching staff has really struggled in recent weeks with an onslaught of injuries, but the one bright spot — and I mean *bright* spot — is former first round pick Hurston Waldrep. On Tuesday night in Miami, Waldrep will take the mound again and be opposed by righty Sandy Alcantara.
After a rough start to the year, Waldrep made adjustments to his repertoire and pitching motion and started to find success with Triple-A Gwinnett. Since being re-called to the majors on August 2, Waldrep has
been as good as anyone in the game with a superb 0.73 ERA, 1.90 FIP, 3.07 xFIP and perfect 4-0 record over 24.2 innings.
It’s fair to point out the competition hasn’t exactly been lights out — the Reds, Marlins, Guardians and White Sox are all bottom 10 in baseball in wRC+ — but Waldrep has gotten stronger each time out. Waldrep threw six innings of one-run ball against the Marlins on August 9, striking out six and scattering four hits and a walk.
Alcantara’s return from Tommy John Surgery has been a bit of a roller coaster in 2025, and he’s coming off his two best starts of the season against St. Louis and Boston. The veteran righty was a prime trade deadline candidate, but a shaky month of July kept him with the better-than-expected Marlins. We’ll see what the future holds, but for now, he’ll look to keep the Braves’ bats quiet after a poor showing offensively on Monday night.
Game Info
Game Date/Time: Tuesday, August 26, 6:40 m. EDT
Location: LoanDepot Park, Miami, FL
TV: Fanduel Sports South / Southeast
Listen: 680 the Fan/93.7 FM the Fan
