Do the Braves have a pitching issue?

 The Atlanta Braves are having an all-time great season and feature arguably the best offense of all time led by likely National League Most Valuable Player Ronald Acuna Jr. and home run leader Matt Olson.

Despite their offensive dominance, the Braves have struggled with injuries to their starting pitching staff all season, with 16 different pitchers starting games for Atlanta. Spencer Strider and Bryce Elder have been the only starters to make it through the season unscathed. 

In the past week, both Max Fried and Charlie Morton were placed on the 15-day IL. Fried would be potentially eligible to return for the divisional series, but Morton, who is eligible to return on Oct. 7 after the Braves would have already set their roster, would only be able to serve as a replacement player. 

Per Justin Toscano, the Braves hope that Fried will be able to make a start in the NLDS, but are not making any guarantees. If he either can't go or is significantly limited, the Braves will be in trouble. 

After Strider and Elder, the next best option to start a game would most likely have been former 21-game winner Kyle Wright. However, Wright has spent most of the season on the injured list and has recently taken on a bullpen role after struggling as a starter, making him more of a bulk or middle inning option.

The only other Braves pitchers who are healthy and who have started games in a non-opener role are rookies Allan Winans and Darius Vines. Winans has started five games and has a 1-2 record with a 4.33 ERA. Vines has only one start in four appearances, acting in a bulk relief role in his other three. Vines won his start, throwing six innings and striking out five batters while giving up four hits and two runs. 

The Braves' most likely course of action if they need a spot start will be to use an opener. However, bullpen games in the postseason are risky. They put even more pressure on the traditional starting pitchers, in this case Strider and Elder, to pitch deeper into games to ensure the bullpen stays rested.

It doesn't help that in Strider struggled in his only career postseason appearance, giving up five runs in 2 1/3 innings to the Phillies last year. Elder has not appeared in the postseason. 

While it will still be very difficult to take a series off of this Braves team, Fried and Morton's injuries make them vulnerable. Acuna, Olson, Austin Riley, Ozzie Albies, Marcell Ozuna, and the rest of the Braves' historically dominant offense will still hit, but that won't mean anything if their hobbled pitching staff struggles.