Braves Reportedly Shed Light on Plan for Spring Star Didier Fuentes

The Atlanta Braves somewhat unexpectedly decided to add pitching prospect Didier Fuentes to the big league club's bullpen for Opening Day. And now, Atlanta's reported plan for the young right-handed pitcher has revealed how the team intends to deploy the 20-year-old at the start of the season.

Fuentes, the Braves' No. 3 prospect for 2026 on MLB Pipeline, will initially be used as a length option out of the major league bullpen before going back down to the minors to return to being a starting pitcher, according to MLB.com's Mark Bowman. "The Braves' plan is for Didier Fuentes to spend the first couple weeks as a long reliever for Atlanta and then go to Triple-A Gwinnett to work as a starter," Bowman said.

In hindsight, this makes a lot of sense for both the Braves and Fuentes. Relievers who can throw multiple innings are especially important at the beginning of the year as starting pitchers continue to build up their pitch count. Using Fuentes in this reported role fills that early-season need and rewards the young righty for his impressive spring training, where he's yet to give up a hit, run, or walk in nine innings pitched.

Braves likely want to see Didier Fuentes put his first major league stint behind him

Jul 2, 2025; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Braves starting pitcher Didier Fuentes (75) in the dugout against the Los Angeles Angels in the second inning at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

By using Fuentes out of the bullpen at the start of the season, the Braves are giving the young righty the chance to put his first few big league appearances in the rear-view mirror. The 20-year-old made his major league debut last year, but he gave up 20 runs and 23 hits in four starts for Atlanta. He also had 12 strikeouts and six walks in 13 big league innings pitched in 2025, which is much different from his 17 strikeouts and zero walks in nine spring training innings this year.

Regardless, the Braves' decision to include Fuentes on the Opening Day roster clearly indicates how highly they think of their pitching prospect. He'll seemingly have the opportunity to get another taste of major league action early this year and then return to the minors to further develop as a starter. And given the injuries that have already happened to Atlanta's starting pitching depth this year, Fuentes could still be a factor in the Braves' rotation at some point this season.