NORTH PORT, Fla. -- Braves manager Brian Snitker was asked if the first two weeks of the Grapefruit League season have given him reason to be optimistic about his bullpen.

“The way guys are throwing this spring, I feel good about it,” Snitker said.

A.J. Minter is a Met and Joe Jiménez might miss the entire season while recovering from left knee surgery. With the subtraction of these two high-leverage options, the Braves need someone like Dylan Lee to take another step forward and prove he can handle any late-inning situation.

“[Lee] pitched in a lot of high-leverage situations last year,” Snitker said. “It’s time for him to be a guy. I love where he’s at right now. I think he’s ready for that next step.”

Lee posted a 2.11 ERA over 52 appearances (59 2/3 innings) last season. Per FanGraphs, the lefty completed just 4 2/3 innings in high-leverage situations and 17 1/3 innings in medium-leverage situations. Atlanta will also ask more of southpaw reliever Aaron Bummer, who had a 3.58 ERA in 56 appearances (55 1/3 innings) last season. FanGraphs classified 3 2/3 of his innings as high leverage and 40 2/3 innings as low leverage.

But it’s not like veteran closer Raisel Iglesias will have an entirely new collection of setup men. Pierce Johnson should begin the season as the top high-leverage setup option. Lee can be confidently used against both right-handed hitters and left-handed hitters. Bummer has traditionally handled right-handed hitters, but his struggles against them last season were influenced by some bad luck. His .298 wOBA against right-handed hitters was 0.37 points higher than his expected wOBA of .261.

So, the Braves are hoping Bummer and Lee can be utilized at any point during the late innings. But who might be some other late-inning right-handed options?

Daysbel Hernández constructed a 2.50 ERA and registered 26 strikeouts over 18 innings for Atlanta in 2024. Hernández has allowed two runs in two of his four spring appearances thus far. One of those instances was his Feb. 23 spring debut, and the other was Friday, when he escaped a fourth-inning jam he inherited from Reynaldo López and then incurred some damage in the fifth. It marked Hernández's first multi-inning appearance of the spring.

Unlike many of the candidates for the final bullpen spots, Hernández has remaining options, meaning he could be sent back to the Minors without risk of losing him to another organization. But unless he struggles over the next couple of weeks, he will likely be in the bullpen on Opening Day.

Iglesias, Johnson, Bummer, Lee and Hernández will likely account for five of the eight bullpen spots. Here are the top candidates for the final three spots:

LHP Angel Perdomo: The 6-foot-8 southpaw, who missed last year while recovering from Tommy John surgery, hasn’t shown the dominant stuff that was anticipated after he struck out 44 batters in 29 innings for the Pirates in 2023. He has just three strikeouts in five innings this spring. He’s also out of options, but based on early results, that might not be enough to guarantee a spot.

RHP Anderson Pilar: The 2024 Rule 5 Draft selection has struck out 10 of 23 batters, but nine have reached via a hit or walk. The 27-year-old reliever will need to make a strong impression over the final weeks for the Braves to carry him, knowing he would have to pass through waivers and then be offered back to the Marlins if he were removed from the active roster at any point this season.

RHP Buck Farmer: The Atlanta-area native has done all that was expected of him so far. Like every pitcher who pitched in the cold and windy conditions that surrounded Thursday’s game against the Marlins, his velo was down a little. But he’s pitched effectively and created more reason to assume he’ll be given an Opening Day roster spot.

RHP Enyel De Los Santos: This 29-year-old righty has made a strong impression on the coaching staff. He pitched effectively for the Padres during the early portion of last season and might be given a chance to begin this season in Atlanta’s 'pen. He’s more of a favorite than a longshot.

RHP Héctor Neris: The veteran reliever posted a 1.71 ERA in 71 appearances for the Astros in 2023. He wasn’t as effective during stints with the Astros and Cubs in '24, but he’s a great clubhouse presence, and he has a wealth of experience. That will aid his roster bid.

LHP Jake Diekman: Like Farmer, De Los Santos and Neris, Diekman is a non-roster invitee with a wealth of experience. His bid will be influenced by how many left-handers the Braves want to carry in the bullpen.