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.

Elder will start Wednesday in Game 3 of the NLDS in Philadelphia, Justin Toscano of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.

EDGE Analysis

The decision came down to Elder and AJ Smith-Shawver and Atlanta has opted for the more experienced hurler. Elder posted a 3.81 ERA over 31 starts this season, but he held a 5.11 ERA in the second half and allowed 13 runs over 12.1 innings covering his last three regular season outings. There will be a short leash for Elder in this one, with Smith-Shawver looming as an alternative if a quick hook is required.

Elder is scheduled to pitch in an intrasquad game Thursday in Atlanta, lining him up for a potential NLDS Game 3 start next Wednesday at Philadelphia, Mark Bowman of MLB.com reports.

EDGE Analysis

Spencer Strider and Max Fried (finger) are pretty much locked into Games 1 and 2 at Truist Park in Atlanta, and the NL East champs will probably then turn to Elder to handle Game 3 at Citizens Bank Park. The young right-hander struggled over his final three regular-season starts, yielding 13 earned runs in 12.1 innings, but he delivered a solid 3.81 ERA across 174.2 total frames for the year and earned his first All-Star nod.

Elder won't start as originally scheduled Sunday against Washington, David O'Brien of The Athletic reports.

EDGE Analysis

With Elder having already thrown a career-high 180.2 innings this season, 21.2 IP more than he worked across all levels in 2022, Atlanta will skip his turn in the rotation ahead of the postseason. The 24-year-old has given up 13 runs in 12.1 innings over his last three starts, so perhaps the extended rest period will help him return to form in the NLDS. The team has not yet named a replacement starter for the final game of the regular season.

Elder did not factor into the decision Tuesday, allowing five runs on seven hits and four walks over 3.2 innings against the Cubs. He struck out two.

EDGE Analysis

Elder's rough stretch continued against the Cubs -- he's now allowed 13 runs in his last three starts (12.1 innings) while failing to make it through four innings in his last two outings, issuing nine walks in that span (7.1 innings). Overall, Elder's ERA is up to 3.81 with a 1.28 WHIP and 128:63 K:BB across 31 starts (174.2) innings this season. He'll look to bounce back and end his year on a high note as Elder's currently lined up to face the Nationals in Atlanta's final regular season game this weekend.

Elder did not factor into the decision Wednesday, allowing four runs on three hits and five walks over 3.2 innings against the Phillies. He did not record any strikeouts.

EDGE Analysis

Elder got off to a rough start, issuing three walks in the first inning, including back-to-back walks to open the frame, which led to one run coming home for Philadelphia. Nick Castellanos accounted for the other three runs against Elder with a pair of homers. The right-hander has now allowed four runs in back-to-back starts, though Wednesday marked the first time since July 18 that he failed to make it through at least four frames. He also issued a season-high five walks in the contest while not recording any strikeouts for only the second time this season.