ATLANTA — The Atlanta Braves have a starting pitching problem, and with the MLB trade deadline looming, help should eventually be on the way. But in recent weeks, another solution has gained traction on social media — move right-hander Didier Fuentes out of the bullpen and back into the starting rotation.On the surface, it sounds simple. But right now, it would do more harm than good.Fuentes has become one of the Braves’ most valuable relievers, and his importance has only grown since setup man Robert Suarez landed on the injured list with right forearm tightness.Perhaps more importantly, though, the role is accelerating his development. The 21-year-old entered Monday with a 1.47 ERA in relief, the fifth-best mark among qualified National League relievers. Those numbers don’t just reflect Fuentes’ success, but also indicate that pitching out of the bullpen is helping prepare him to be the starter the Braves still believe he can become.“It’s helped my development so much,” Fuentes said in Spanish. “In these difficult situations I’m put in, it has really helped me. Like figuring out the sequence, how to pitch to a batter and how to throw him off balance to keep the game going.”Making sense of MLBPA's proposed rule changesKeith LawIt is a stark contrast from a year ago.In four starts last season, Fuentes allowed 20 earned runs over 13 innings while struggling to command the strike zone consistently.His low release point gives his four-seam fastball exceptional ride, allowing a pitch that reaches 98-99 mph to play even faster at the top of the strike zone. But when hitters forced him into the zone, the lack of dependable secondary pitches caught up to him.Pitchers who rely on premium velocity, like Fuentes, need swing-and-miss stuff. Entering Monday, he had thrown his four-seam fastball 67.5 percent of the time this season, the fourth-highest usage rate in the league, while relying on his slider 26.3 percent of the time. His splitter has been used just 5.7 percent of the time, and he continues refining both that pitch and his curveball.Relievers can thrive with two plus pitches because they usually only face hitters once. Starters don’t have that luxury. Once batters see the same fastball-slider combination a second or third time, they begin to adjust. That’s why continuing to develop the splitter and curveball is critical before making a permanent move back to the rotation.“My confidence has really grown since I’ve joined the bullpen,” Fuentes said.Developing a future starter out of the bullpen has become less common, but the Braves aren’t unfamiliar with the approach. Spencer Strider debuted as a dominant reliever before transitioning into the rotation, where he quickly developed into one of baseball’s premier starters.Chris Sale followed a similar path. Early in his career, he broke into the majors as a reliever before eventually becoming one of the game’s most accomplished starters. On Saturday, he was named an All-Star for the tenth time.“It’s instant adrenaline,” Sale said. “Sometimes you’re coming in with runners on base, so you’re thrown into the fire pretty quick. As a starter, you get into your own mess, and then when you do get there, it’s like, ‘Hey, I’ve been here before.’ So you can work your way out of those situations as a starter.”Make no mistake, Fuentes was — and still is — viewed as one of baseball’s most promising young arms. That belief was evident when the Braves promoted him to the majors just three days after his 20th birthday.The Braves may eventually need Fuentes back in the rotation, but rushing that transition now, while he’s thriving in high-leverage relief and still sharpening his secondary pitches, would solve one problem by creating another.But fans can be forgiven for envisioning him as a starter again. Even Sale is looking ahead.“I’m gonna try to steal him back next year,” Sale said. “(The team) can have him in the bullpen for this year, but I think long-term, he’s got good enough stuff, he’s got good enough command and poise.”Jul 7, 2026Connections: Sports EditionSpot the pattern. Connect the termsFind the hidden link between sports terms