Atlanta Braves right-hander Kyle Wright will start the season on the injured list, a move that will open starting-rotation spots for rookies Jared Shuster and Dylan Dodd.
The Braves said Sunday that Wright will be placed on the 15-day IL in order to give him time to strengthen his ailing shoulder, which required a cortisone shot in January.
Wright will remain in extended spring training for the next two weeks and will be eligible to return from the IL on April 11 against the Reds.
In the meantime, Atlanta is preparing for Shuster and Dodd, who had been competing for the No. 5 spot in the rotation, to both make their major league debuts over the first week of the regular season.
The left-handed Shuster, 24, is expected to start next Sunday against the Nationals. The former first-round draft pick has a 1.45 ERA in five appearances this spring with 18 strikeouts over 18⅔ innings.
Dodd, 24, also a left-hander, likely won’t break camp with the Braves but will be added to the major league roster to start Atlanta’s game against the Cardinals on April 5. He has posted a 2.00 ERA this spring with 20 strikeouts over 18 innings.
Wright, 27, went 21-5 with a 3.19 ERA during his breakout 2022 campaign and was MLB’s only 20-game winner. He is expected to make at least one early-April start at Triple-A Gwinnett before the Braves consider activating him to the major league roster.