The Atlanta Braves had an unfortunate update on right-hander Spencer Schwellenbach's future.
Atlanta Braves right-hander Spencer Schwellenbach could not have imagined having a worse season. His 2025 campaign ended disappointingly when he had to miss the final three months due to a fractured right elbow.
Just as he was looking to be part of Atlanta's Opening Day rotation, he suffered another major setback in late January, reporting right arm discomfort that led to surgery to remove bone spurs from his elbow.
Then, just as he was recovering and potentially looking at a bullpen role for Atlanta this October, he felt more right arm discomfort. An MRI on Friday revealed he would need another surgery, though the exact procedure was initially unclear.
On Saturday before Atlanta's matchup with the Colorado Rockies, Schwellenbach spoke with reporters, including Mark Bowman of MLB.com, and delivered the worst possible update. He will need to have a screw placed in his right elbow, and it is now unclear when or even if Schwellenbach will ever throw again.
He also revealed this was a possibility all the way back in 2025 when he originally fractured the elbow, but that the continued discomfort left him with no choice but to take this route now.
The most concerning part is the uncertainty surrounding his future as a pitcher. Manager Walt Weiss and Schwellenbach himself remain optimistic, but coming back from this procedure and returning to being an effective big-league arm is an enormous challenge that carries no guarantees.
Schwellenbach will almost certainly not be an option in 2027, which is a significant blow to the rotation. The Braves will now definitely be in the market for starting pitching this offseason, and the need is urgent.
Schwellenbach is not the only arm to suffer a major injury this year. Hurston Waldrep is undergoing Tommy John surgery, and Spencer Strider has been largely unavailable this season as well. Three young pitchers who were supposed to be foundational pieces of this rotation for years to come have all hit significant roadblocks in the same year.
When Schwellenbach did pitch in 2024 and 2025, he was one of the most promising young arms in the organization. Across 38 starts he posted a 3.23 ERA, a 15-11 record and 235 strikeouts across 234 1/3 innings. He was an efficient and reliable player.
Atlanta has frequently chosen conservative routes with their young pitchers hoping to avoid surgery, and this year that approach has backfired. For Schwellenbach, his return to an MLB mound is no longer something that is guaranteed.
