Allan Winans, not Bryce Elder, starts game two of intrasquad games during the Braves' postseason workouts

Allan Winans gets the start for the home team in game two, with the regular defense behind him. 

Winans, 28, was 1-2 with a 5.29 ERA in his six starts for Atlanta this season, striking out 34 in his 32.1 innings of work. Spending the majority of the season in AAA Gwinnett, Winans was 9-4 with a 2.85 ERA, being named an International League All-Star after winning the ERA title in Gwinnett's home league. 

Normally there wouldn't be a question about starting a 2023 All-Star in the postseason, but Elder's season has had a sharp divide - after finishing the stretch leading into the All-Star Break with a 7-2 record and 2.97 ERA in 18 starts, Elder stumbled hard in the second half. Over 13 post-ASB starts, Elder was 5-2 with a 5.11 ERA, giving up almost as many homers in the 2nd half (9) as he did in the first (10), despite pitching almost forty less innings (68.2 to 106). 

More worrisome, Elder's last two starts of the regular season, at home versus the Phillies and the Cubs, were both short outings: 3.2 innings, with four runs surrendered to Philly (on three hits and five walks) and five to Chicago (on seven hits and four walks). 

Does Atlanta risk starting Elder in game three on the road, knowing that he won only a single start on the road across the back half of the schedule? 

(Seriously: Elder went 1-2 in his six road starts, picking up a win in Colorado and otherwise leaving with either a loss or a no-decision in the other five games.)   

And if Atlanta isn't confident in the sinkerballer Elder, who is already 21.2 innings over last season's career high of 159, who do they go with? Winans feels unlikely to be the first choice, but he's got one more chance to try and prove otherwise.