NORTH PORT, Fla. — Braves right-handers Spencer Schwellenbach and Hurston Waldrep will miss months after requiring elbow procedures to remove loose bodies.
Schwellenbach underwent a procedure to remove bone spurs in his right elbow Wednesday. Waldrep, who visited specialist Dr. Keith Meister in Texas this week, will undergo a procedure Feb. 23 to remove loose bodies in his right elbow. Schwellenbach is already on the 60-day injured list; Waldrep will join him soon.
The Braves don’t have a timeline for their players’ recoveries. Other instances of starting pitchers who underwent surgery to remove bone spurs have led to absences of roughly three to four months. Waldrep could be on a comparable timetable as well, though recovery from the procedure he underwent historically has been a tad quicker than what Schwellenbach faces. There are other variables, including both pitchers’ ramp-up periods, that affect the timetable for their returns.
Manager Walt Weiss, when asked if both pitchers would still be in play for this season, responded: “I’m not sure. We all hope for that, but you never know how these things go.”
Schwellenbach, 25, is one of baseball’s emerging young pitchers. He has a 3.23 ERA over 38 career starts but was limited to 17 outings a year ago because of a fractured elbow. The latest setback further derails his ascension and weakens a rotation that can ill afford his absence.
Waldrep, meanwhile, was a needed bright spot down the stretch of the Braves’ otherwise disappointing 2025 campaign. He had a 2.88 ERA in 10 outings, parlaying a successful summoning at the MLB Speedway Classic into a rotation spot. The 23-year-old was a candidate to open this season in the rotation, but even if he hadn’t, he was expected to play a major role.
Now, the Braves are without both pitchers indefinitely. They’ll have Chris Sale, Spencer Strider, Reynaldo Lopez and Grant Holmes as the top four of their rotation. Bryce Elder and Joey Wentz are leading candidates for the fifth spot. Youngster JR Ritchie eventually should factor into that equation, and the team has veterans such as Jose Suarez and Carlos Carrasco, but there’s no doubt they’re a bit thin on starters.
The Braves begin Grapefruit League play Saturday. They open the regular season March 27 against the Royals.
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