ATLANTA -- The Braves face two significant storylines at the moment: the rotation and Dan Uggla's eyesight. The latter is being taken care of via LASIK eye surgery -- he's expected to miss most or all of August on the disabled list -- while the former has yet to take shape.
Braves starter Paul Maholm is set to come off the DL in the coming days after completing rehab starts (if his health holds up), giving the Braves even more options for its strong rotation. The problem is that Maholm not only brings experience back to the staff but also the unit's worst inidividual numbers.
Despite his nine wins, Maholm ranks seventh in WAR (0.5) and strikeout-to-walk ratio and sixth in fielding-independent pitching (4.20) and ERA (4.41) among the Braves seven starters this season. The team's rotation has looked better than ever in the past 20 or so games -- with Tim Hudson and Paul Maholm out of the fold due to injury. How will Fredi Gonzalez and Frank Wren handle the move?
Our Braves writers -- Zach Dillard, Cory McCartney and Jay Clemons -- are joined by Braves reporter Grant McAuley to discuss a potential six-man rotation, Uggla and more. Here are the highlights:
-- Does a six-man rotation make sense for the Braves moving forward? Is there value in saving starts/limiting innings for the likes of Julio Teheran? Will it even matter come the postseason?
-- How does the timing of Dan Uggla's surgery affect the Braves? When should he be expected back in uniform? Could this be a significant cause of his oft-discussed shortcomings at the plate over the past two-plus seasons?
-- Could Jason Heyward batting lead-off be a long-term feature of this Braves lineup?
