The Atlanta Braves will be without Chris Sale in the Wild Card series against the San Diego Padres. He missed the regular season finale due to back spasms and now we won’t see him until the National League Division Series – should the Braves get there.

With the other key members of the rotation still recovering from a crazy weekend, it’s becoming increasingly likely that they’ll turn to someone from Triple-A to get a win in Game 1.

According to MLB.com’s Mark Bowman, Ian Anderson, AJ Smith-Shawver and Bryce Elder are the top candidates to sign.

Grant McAuley of 92.9 The Game also suggested Hurston Waldrep in addition to Anderson and Smith-Shawver.

Of all the options, Ian Anderson is the most intriguing. He hasn’t played in an MLB game in over two years. That being said, he is known to be a playoff hero for the Braves and a force on the mound come October.

In eight postseason starts, Anderson has a 1.26 ERA with 40 strikeouts in 35 2/3 innings. The track record of having been there before makes it worth rolling the dice and seeing what he can do.

It’s fair to wonder how he’s been doing lately. It’s been a while. Anderson missed virtually all of 2023 due to Tommy John surgery. Spent the entire 2024 regular season recovering and getting back into shape.

In 10 Triple-A starts this season, Anderson had a 3.96 ERA with 53 strikeouts in 52 1/3 innings. These cross-season numbers won’t encourage too many people. However, he got better and better as the season went on. In three starts in September, he had a 2.12 ERA. This is much more encouraging.

After a rollercoaster season, it would almost be fitting to rely on an option like Anderson. We’ll find out soon enough.

The Braves will face the San Diego Padres in the Wild Card series starting Tuesday. First pitch of Game 1 begins at 8:38 p.m