The Atlanta Braves have made a decision on right-hander Grant Holmes ahead of a crucial three-game series against the Los Angeles Dodgers beginning on Friday, May 8.
Holmes is moving to a swingman role, reports Mark Bowman of MLB.com. Left-hander Martin Perez drew the start in place of Holmes on Wednesday, May 6, against the Seattle Mariners. He’s thoroughly out-pitched Holmes to this point and delivered another solid outing.
“Whether it’s based on matchups or based on giving guys extra days of rest or that type of thing, we have some nice options,” manager Walt Weiss told reporters, relayed by Bowman.
With the hard-hitting Dodgers on tap this weekend, Holmes will be available out of the bullpen. Depending on his role in that series, the righty could make a start next week against the Chicago Cubs.
Atlanta Braves Boot Grant Holmes to Swingman Role Before Los Angeles Dodgers Matchup
The Colorado Rockies tagged Holmes for five earned runs over five innings in his most recent outing, an 8-6 win on Friday, May 1. He permitted five runs in the first inning, capped off by a Matt Olson throwing error. Mickey Moniak launched a solo homer in the second inning, but that would be all of the scoring for the Rockies. Holmes settled in to complete three scoreless frames, then the bullpen held it down as the offense erased the six-run deficit.
Holmes has a 4.34 ERA across seven starts this season. That number is backed up by a 4.63 xFIP and a 4.81 SIERA. The righty has recorded an out beyond the fifth inning in less than half of his appearances. Holmes has a career-low 18.1% strikeout rate. His walk rate, which was a problem at times in 2025, remains high at 10.6%. The 30-year-old has a 2-1 record.
The 2025 campaign was a relative breakout for Holmes, who didn’t make his MLB debut until age 28. The righty had operated largely out of the bullpen in his initial taste of the majors. Injuries thrust Holmes into the rotation last year, and he made the most of the opportunity. Holmes delivered 115 frames of a sub-4.00 ERA and more than a strikeout per inning. He finished third on the team in starts behind Bryce Elder and Spencer Strider. The effort was enough to afford Holmes a rotation spot heading into 2026. Injuries to Spencer Schwellenbach and Hurston Waldrep made it a layup.
Braves’ Rotation Holding Up Despite Injuries
Atlanta dealt with a plethora of health concerns in the rotation heading into the season. Schwellenbach and Waldrep went down in the spring with long-term injuries. Strider picked up an oblique issue during MLB Spring Training. He recently made his season debut against the Rockies. The results were poor, but Strider’s return allowed the club to cut ties with struggling Carlos Carrasco.
Despite the crucial absences, Atlanta ranks fourth in the league in starter ERA. Perez has provided a huge lift in multiple stints with the club this year. The veteran has a crisp 2.38 ERA across seven appearances, two of which have come out of the bullpen. He’s assumed Holmes’ spot in the rotation for now.
Braves Bump Struggling Starter to Bullpen Ahead of Dodgers Series