The Atlanta Braves haven’t even begun Spring Training of the 2026 MLB season, and things are already going very, very wrong.
First, Ha-Seong Kim injured his hand in a freak accident, falling on ice in Korea, and will miss the next 4-5 months as he recovers. He was a big free agent signing, and now he will be out for a while.
But that’s not the only brutal news for the Braves. As Underdog MLB shared, the Braves will be placing young ace Spencer Schwellenbach on the 60-day IL due to an issue with his right elbow, in a brutal revelation for the Braves this season.
Braves dealt brutal news on Spencer Schwellenbach amid 60-day IL placement
“Spencer Schwellenbach to be placed on 60-day IL with right elbow inflammation,” Underdog MLB shared on Twitter/x.
This piece of news on the braves young starter is incredibly unfortunate, not just for Schwellenbach, but for the Braves as well.
While Schwellenbach was coming into the year injured, dealing with an elbow issue last season that caused him to miss some time, this update is not a good look.
The Braves’ current rotation without Schwellenbach consists of Chris Sale, Spencer Strider, Reynaldo Lopez, Grant Holmes, and Bryce Elder.
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Having Schwellenbach as part of their rotation to begin the 2026 season would’ve been massive for Atlanta.
But, this elbow issue isn’t going away, and he’s landing on the 60-day injured list and will miss a fair amount of time to begin the 2026 MLB season.
The 25-year-old righty is coming off a strong season, posting a 3.09 ERA in 17 starts for the Braves. His 3.35 ERA in 21 starts in 2024 was also very encouraging, making Schwellenbach one of the more promising young pitchers in baseball.
But this elbow issue is holding him back in a big way. He’s now going to miss some time for the Braves this season, and Atlanta might now have to more seriously consider signing a free agent starting pitcher this offseason.
