Braves' Kyle Wright to Open Season on IL amid Shoulder Injury Recovery

Atlanta Braves pitcher Kyle Wright will begin the season on the injured list after receiving a cortisone injection in his shoulder in January.

Wright will be eligible to return on April 11, when the Braves take on the Cincinnati Reds in their 12th game of the season. In his absence, rookie pitchers Jared Shuster and Dylan Dodd will make their MLB debuts.

Wright took three weeks off from normal preparations for the season in January after receiving a cortisone injection in a shoulder he says has felt "sticky" since 2020, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution's Justin Toscano. After the shot, the pitcher told MLB.com's Mark Bowman his shoulder felt better than it had in years.

Instead of joining the Braves for Opening Day, Wright will continue to build up his shoulder by making a minor league spring training start and a regular-season Triple A start, Toscano reported.

Wright "tentatively" plans to return to the team, according to Toscano, during the Braves' opening homestand, when Atlanta faces the San Diego Padres and the Reds from April 6-12.

With Wright out of the rotation for the start of the season, Shuster and Dodd will make their major league debuts during Atlanta's first five games.

Shuster, who moved up to the Triple-A last season after ranking 10th in Double-A with a 2.78 ERA in 16 starts for the Mississippi Braves, is set to make his MLB debut on April 2 at the Washington Nationals. The 2020 first-round pick shined during early spring performances, allowing just three earned runs and seven hits through 18.2 innings in the Grapefruit League.

Dodd also impressed during camp by recording a 2.00 ERA and a 20-4 strikeout-to-walk ratio through 18 innings. The southpaw is scheduled to make his debut against the St. Louis Cardinals on April 4.

Shuster and Dodd, who are both in the running to become Atlanta's No. 5 pitcher, will use the opportunity presented by Wright's absence to audition for a future spot in the rotation.