Elder is slated to start Sunday's game against the Guardians in Atlanta.

EDGE Analysis

Elder staged a successful 2024 MLB debut Monday, holding the Marlins scoreless over 6.2 innings while striking out four and allowing nine baserunners in a winning effort. He joined the Atlanta rotation as a replacement for Darius Vines and should have some staying power with the big club due to Spencer Strider (elbow) being out for the season. Elder compiled a 3.81 ERA, 1.28 WHIP and 128:63 K:BB across 174.2 innings with Atlanta in 2023.

Elder (1-0) earned the win Monday against the Marlins, allowing eight hits and no walks over 6.2 shutout innings. He struck out four.

EDGE Analysis

Elder stymied the lowly Marlins on Monday night as he scattered eight hits (seven singles and one double), pounding the zone with his 89.5-mph sinker. The one time All-Star was pitching well in Triple-A before his call-up, tossing 16.1 innings with a 3.31 ERA, 1.16 WHIP and 18:5 K:BB. Should Elder stick in the Atlanta rotation, his next start would come against Cleveland at home.

Atlanta recalled Elder from Triple-A Gwinnett ahead of his scheduled start Monday against the Marlins at Truist Park.

EDGE Analysis

Elder will take over the rotation spot of Darius Vines, who was optioned to Triple-A after making two starts following Spencer Strider's season-ending elbow injury. A 2023 All-Star, Elder faded down the stretch last season and missed out on a spot in Atlanta's rotation coming out of spring training, but he's looked sharp through three starts at Gwinnett, logging a 3.31 ERA, 1.18 WHIP and 18:5 K:BB in 16.1 innings. While he hasn't shown the ability to make bats miss at a prolific rate (18.2 percent) over 228.2 innings in the majors, Elder has shown the ability to induce weak contact and keep the ball in the yard. He'll make for an attractive streaming option Monday versus a struggling Miami offense and could have long-term appeal in light of Strider's absence along with the fact that he'll be supported by one of the top offenses in baseball.

Elder is expected to be called up from Triple-A Gwinnett and start Monday's contest versus the Marlins, David O'Brien of The Athletic reports.

EDGE Analysis

Elder is set to make his first major-league start of the season, joining Atlanta ahead of their three-game series at home versus Miami. The 24-year-old has produced a 3.31 ERA and 1.18 WHIP with 18 strikeouts over 16.1 innings in three outings in Triple-A this season. The right-hander will look to impress against the Marlins in order to potentially get another start down the road. In order to make room for Elder on the big-league roster, Darius Vines was optioned to Gwinnett following his start against the Rangers on Sunday.

Elder is a top candidate to fill Atlanta's vacant rotation spot, David O'Brien of The Athletic reports.

EDGE Analysis

Atlanta needs to fill the rotation spot of Spencer Strider (elbow), and there are a number of candidates to step into the role. Elder experienced plenty of success in the majors last year, as he posted a 3.81 ERA and 1.28 WHIP across 173.2 innings. He faded down the stretch, however, and then failed to secure a rotation spot out of spring training. The team's current plans should become clearer this weekend, as Elder is currently expected to start Saturday for Triple-A Gwinnett, which would in turn make him unavailable to start Tuesday for Atlanta. Dylan Dodd is the other top candidate for a promotion, while Darius Vines is also in the mix.

Atlanta optioned Elder to Triple-A Gwinnett on Monday.

EDGE Analysis

Elder wound up being the odd man out for a spot in Atlanta's five-man rotation, with offseason pickup Reynaldo Lopez seemingly getting the first crack at serving as the team's No. 5 starter. If Lopez struggles in his transition from the bullpen to the rotation and is eventually moved back to a relief role, Elder could be an option for spot starts, but AJ Smith-Shawver is the more appealing fantasy stash due to his superior stuff and upside. Elder had an 8.25 ERA, 1.75 WHIP and 13 strikeouts in 12 innings during Grapefruit League play.

Elder gave up five runs on five hits and three walks over 4.1 innings in Wednesday's Grapefruit League game against the Orioles. He struck out three.

EDGE Analysis

He did manage to keep the ball in the yard, something his Baltimore counterpart Cole Irvin failed to do, and Elder got closer to being fully stretched out, but there otherwise weren't many positive takeaways from this performance. The 24-year-old right-hander saw his control erode in the second half last season -- he posted a 4.0 BB/9 after July 1, following a 2.6 BB/9 over the first three months of 2023 -- and those issues have persisted this spring, as he's managed a 13:6 K:BB through 12 Grapefruit League innings. Elder remains in the mix for Atlanta's fifth starter role, but Reynaldo Lopez appears to be the favorite to begin the season with the job.

Elder struck out six over 3.1 innings in Thursday's Grapefruit League game against the Red Sox. He gave up one run on two hits and two walks.

EDGE Analysis

The right-hander made 31 starts for Atlanta last season, but he seemed to have fallen behind Reynaldo Lopez in the battle for the fifth starter spot with Opening Day approaching. Elder's performance Thursday announced that he wasn't going down without a fight though, and he did get the start in this one while Lopez entered the game in the fifth inning. Lopez hasn't been a regular starter in the majors since 2019 and hasn't thrown more than 66 innings in either of the last two seasons, so Elder could still have a leg up based on his proven ability to handle a larger workload. Through 7.2 innings this spring, the 24-year-old Elder has a superficially shaky 7.04 ERA, but it comes with a 10:3 K:BB.

Elder gave up three runs on four hits over three innings in Friday's Grapefruit League game against the Orioles. He struck out three without walking a batter,

EDGE Analysis

The 24-year-old right-hander wasn't hit particularly hard, giving up a double to Ryan O'Hearn in addition to three singles, but it was still his second straight shaky performance to begin the spring. Elder is battling Reynaldo Lopez and AJ Smith-Shawver for Atlanta's fifth starter role to begin the season, but he may need to turn things around quickly to stay in the mix despite the fact that he made 31 big-league starts in 2023 and delivered a respectable 3.81 ERA and 1.28 WHIP.

Atlanta general manager Alex Anthopoulos said Saturday that Elder will compete with Reynaldo Lopez and AJ Smith-Shawver for the fifth spot in the rotation, Mark Bowman of MLB.com reports.

EDGE Analysis

While he should probably be considered the favorite to land the fifth starter job, Elder no longer appears guaranteed a rotation spot following Atlanta's acquisition of Chris Sale. The 24-year-old collected a 2.97 ERA in 18 first-half starts in 2023 but stumbled to a 5.11 ERA in 13 outings after the All-Star break. A 49.9 percent groundball rate helps, but Elder's 17.5 percent strikeout rate leaves a lot to be desired.