Braves' Anderson to make MLB debut Wednesday

The Braves need starting pitching. It helps that they have one of the game's best pitching prospects waiting in the wings. The waiting will soon be over.

Atlanta has called up No. 42 overall prospect Ian Anderson for his Major League debut. The right-hander will face the Yankees in the first game of a doubleheader on Wednesday after Tuesday night's game was postponed due to rain at Truist Park.

Right-hander Touki Toussaint was optioned to the alternate site in Gwinnett to make room for Anderson on the 28-man active roster, while the younger righty will claim an open spot on the 40-man roster. All-Star outfielder Ronald Acuña Jr. (wrist) was also activated from the 10-day injured list while catcher Alex Jackson -- the Braves' No. 23 prospect -- was optioned.

Taken with the third overall pick in the 2016 Draft out of an upstate New York high school, Anderson has developed into Atlanta's top pitching prospect during his four years in the system. He has yet to post a season ERA above 3.50 while hitting every stateside rung of the developmental chain from the Gulf Coast League to Triple-A Gwinnett.

The 22-year-old is coming off a season in which he notched a 3.38 ERA and 1.25 WHIP over 135 2/3 innings between Gwinnett and Double-A Mississippi. His 172 strikeouts were both a career high and tied for fourth-highest in the Minors. That said, after a dominant turn at Double-A, he did struggle at the Minors' highest level, where he posted a 6.57 ERA and issued 18 walks over 24 2/3 innings following an August promotion to Gwinnett.

The 6-foot-3 hurler showcases three pitches with above-average potential in his fastball, curveball and changeup. The fastball sat in the low-90s last season but stands out because of the way it can bear down on hitters from Anderson's over-the-top delivery. The curveball, which features a low spin rate, works with a 12-to-6 movement that led to plenty of K's, and his changeup has improved enough to give him the three necessary pitches to start in the Majors. Control has been an issue -- as evidenced by his Triple-A walk total -- but the 2019 Organization All-Star has developed to the point that he should be at least average in that department over the long term.

Anderson joins a Braves club that sits atop the National League East with a 16-12 record despite issues with its rotation. Ace Mike Soroka is out for the season with a torn right Achilles tendon and other starters like Toussaint, Kyle Wright, Mike Foltynewicz and Sean Newcomb have struggled to the point where all four have been reassigned to the alternate site this season. Foltynewicz was designated for assignment after one particularly rough outing last month. Braves starters rank 25th out of the 30 Major League clubs with a 5.37 ERA and 24th with a 0.7 WAR.

In the outfield, Acuña's return, along with Nick Markakis' activation off the injured list later in the day, pushed top Braves prospect Cristian Pache back to the alternate site Tuesday. Pache had appeared in two Braves games since he was first recalled last week -- once as a starter in left field and the other as a late-game defensive replacement. His Gold Glove potential and plus-plus speed could still provide value to the big club down the stretch, especially if Ender Inciarte continues to struggle to hit as Atlanta's starting center fielder.