ATLANTA – With the Atlanta Braves’ entire Opening Day starting rotation on the injured list, they traded for Erick Fedde from the St. Louis Cardinals on Sunday to likely fill one of the vacancies for the rest of the season.
The Braves didn’t give up anything in the trade for the veteran right-hander, and the Cardinals are sending cash to help cover part of the approximate $2.5 million remaining on his contract. The Cardinals had designated him for assignment last week.
The #Braves today acquired RHP Erick Fedde and cash considerations from the St. Louis Cardinals in exchange for a player to be named later or cash considerations. To make room on the 40-man roster, Atlanta transferred RHP Grant Holmes to the 60-day injured list.
— Atlanta Braves (@Braves) July 27, 2025
Fedde, 32, is 3-10 with a 5.22 ERA in 20 starts, with just 63 strikeouts and 47 walks, along with 14 homers allowed, in 101 2/3 innings. He’s been particularly ineffective in recent starts, going 0-4 with an alarming 13.25 ERA in his last five starts before the DFA.
Atlanta placed Grant Holmes on the 15-day IL after he felt tightness in his elbow during Saturday’s start, then transferred him to the 60-day IL Sunday, meaning his season is over and he’ll consult with doctors about findings from initial tests.
The Braves already had all other members of their season-opening rotation on the 60-day IL: Chris Sale (rib cage fracture), Spencer Schwellenbach (elbow), Reynaldo López (shoulder surgery) and A.J. Smith-Shawver (Tommy John surgery). Sale could pitch again this season, but Smith-Shawver will not and it’s uncertain whether Schwellenbach or López will.
Provided Atlanta can help reduce the amount of hard contact, Fedde is built to provide rotation depth. The Cardinals originally acquired Fedde from the Chicago White Sox in an eight-player deal that also saw Tommy Edman and Michael Kopech join the Los Angeles Dodgers during last year’s deadline.
(Photo: Dilip Vishwanat / Getty Images)
