Atlanta Braves reportedly among teams in on star pitcher ahead of MLB trade deadline

The injury-plagued Atlanta Braves are not having a great go at it recently. Atlanta has lost four consecutive games. It entered MLB games today with a 54-46 record and a whopping nine games behind the Philadelphia Phillies in the National League East.

A lot of this has had to do with injuries. A top Cy Young candidate heading into the campaign, Spencer Strider is out for the season. Star outfielder Ronald Acuna Jr. is also out for the season after tearing his ACL back in late May.

This doesn’t even take into account the likes of Michael Harris, Ozzie Albies and Max Fried all currently finding themselves on the injured list.

Even then, the Braves have a 79% chance of earning a spot in the playoffs. Will this lead to front office head Alex Anthopoulos making a major move ahead of next week’s MLB trade deadline? It seems possible.

Related: Atlanta Braves reportedly interested in trade for star from division rival

Atlanta Braves among teams interested in Tampa Bay Rays starter Zach Eflin

We’ve read rumors that Tampa Bay could put the 30-year-old Eflin on the block before the trade deadline passes on July 30.

The team currently finds itself at 51-51 on the campaign and doesn’t look like a legitimate playoff contender. That could lead to trading off some veterans for prospects.

If so, the Braves would make a ton of sense as a landing spot for Eflin. He’s having somewhat of a down season, pitching to a 5-7 record with a 4.09 ERA and 1.16 WHIP. Last season saw the veteran lead the American League in wins with 16 while posting a split of 3.50 and 1.02.

Chris Sale is currently heading things for the Braves. Acquired from the Boston Red Sox this past winter, Sale is pitching to a 13-3 record with a 2.70 ERA and 0.96 WHIP. Reynaldo López has also performed well (2.12 ERA, 1.19 WHIP).

With Fried’s injury concerns and Strider lost for the season, rotation help is needed in Atlanta. That’s for sure.

More must-reads:

• Los Angeles Dodgers rumors: Team reportedly interested in adding veteran pitcher
• 2 Chicago Cubs players linked to World Series contender on MLB trade block
• One of New York Yankees’ top trade targets is driving his cost up