The Atlanta Braves pitching staff will not be getting two players back this year.
The Atlanta Braves have no shortage of young pitching talent. The problem this year has been keeping those live arms healthy, and that goes for both right-hander Hurston Waldrep and Spencer Schwellenbach.
Unfortunately, not only will both pitchers miss the remainder of this season, but they will both undergo surgery to address their respective issues.
"Hurston Waldrep will be having Tommy John surgery. Spencer Schwellenbach is also having surgery for the same fractured elbow from last season," reported Jesus Cano of The Athletic.
For Waldrep, having to undergo Tommy John surgery to repair a torn UCL is the worst-case scenario. His season began on the injured list as he experienced right arm discomfort during spring training and underwent surgery to remove loose bodies from his elbow before the year even started. The Braves played it cautiously while ramping him back up, but another setback emerged during his throwing progression in August that led to the UCL diagnosis. Given the timing of the surgery, Waldrep may not even return during the 2027 season, which represents a significant blow for a player with his upside and a genuine disappointment for an organization that was counting on him being a piece of the bullpen puzzle this October.
When on the mound in his young career, the 24-year-old former first-round pick showed genuine promise in 2025, posting a 2.88 ERA across 10 appearances with 55 strikeouts. He would have potentially been a high-leverage bullpen option for the Braves this postseason had things gone differently.
As for Schwellenbach, he too has had a genuinely difficult road back to the big leagues. Similarly to Waldrep, he underwent surgery to remove bone spurs from his right elbow in the offseason, but even prior to that he missed the final three months of the 2025 season due to a right elbow fracture.
Just like Waldrep, he experienced discomfort while ramping up in August and will go back under the knife to address the same elbow, effectively ending his season for the second straight year.
Schwellenbach has a larger sample size than Waldrep and has been more consistent across his young career. Across 38 career starts, the 26-year-old has posted a 3.23 ERA with 235 strikeouts in 234 1/3 innings, showing the kind of ability that makes these recurring injuries so frustrating to watch.
This does not mean the end for either pitcher, but it certainly complicates things for the Braves both now and moving forward. Neither will be available for Walt Weiss this October, and this offseason the organization may need to be considerably more aggressive in targeting proven and durable pitching arms rather than relying so heavily on young pitchers who have struggled to stay healthy.
