Hurston Waldrep

Getty

Hurston Waldrep could be on the outside looking in when it comes to Atlanta’s 2026 roster.

The Atlanta Braves were dealt some unfortunate news on Tuesday, the first day of pitchers and catchers reporting to spring training, when Mark Bowman of MLB.com announced that Spencer Schwellenbach is being placed on the 60-Day Injured List with elbow inflammation.

This is a brutal blow for the Braves, as the timeline for Schwellenbach’s return is unclear for now, but he was expected to be one of Atlanta’s frontline rotation openers to start the season. Along with Chris Sale, Schwellenbach gives the Braves rotation some semblance of stability, but he’s still dealing with an elbow issue that shut him down in 2025.

So, who will take Schwellenbach’s spot in the Braves rotation to start the year?

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Braves Internal Starting Pitching Options

With this news of Spencer Schlwellenbach being sidelined with an elbow injury, that opens up a spot for another arm to step up in the Braves organization, at least to start the season

Schwellenbach missed the final three months of the 2025 regular season with a small fracture in his right elbow, and he will now be shelved for most of the first two months of the 2026 campaign, at minimum. Atlanta is hopeful that the right-hander is dealing with bone spurs and will not require surgery.

Hurston Waldrep

GettyHurston Waldrep could be on the outside looking in when it comes to Atlanta’s 2026 roster.

Here are some of the Braves’ other internal options: Spencer Strider, Grant Holmes, Reynaldo Lopez, Hurston Waldrep, Joey Wentz, and Bryce Elder. Southpaw Martin Perez is also in the rotation.

Assuming that Strider, Holmes, and Lopez all have a spot in the rotation is healthy; that leaves one more option (Chris Sale as the ace), and given the nature of MLB, Atlanta will likely be relying on multiple options to fill the fifth rotation spot. That means Bryce Elder might see some innings, and youngster Hurston Waldrep could make some starts as well.

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What This Injury Means for the Braves?

After signing Ha-Seong Kim this offseason, just for him to be sidelined 4-5 months with a hand injury, this is just yet another Braves injury before the 2026 campaign has started.

The Braves might just have to overcome rotation issues to start the season, but it’s important to note that Schwellenbach, if all goes well, could be at full strength around late-May or early-June.

Schwellenbach has made 38 starts in his two-year MLB career and has a 3.23 ERA. In 2025, he pitched 110.2 innings with a 3.09 earned run average and 108 strikeouts.

What makes Schwellenbach carry so much promise is his command. He’s walked just 41 batters in 234.1 innings pitched.

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