The Atlanta Braves have a positive update on the injury front. General manager Alex Anthopoulos, via MLB insider Jon Morosi, said that right-hander Spencer Schwellenbach is now pain-free.
Spencer Schwellenbach is pain-free now, Alex Anthopoulos said today.
Very good news for the Braves.
— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) November 11, 2025
He had been recovering from a fractured right elbow since late June. He was placed on the injured list on July 2, retroactive to June 29, following his last outing on June 28. Right before he got hurt, he was experiencing new highs in velocity, including hitting 100 mph on the radar gun.
The injury was viewed as a freak accident, and his UCL and flexor all looked good during the tests as well. He has since been ramping back up. He was playing catch before the end of the season.
Initially, there was hope he would be back by September, but he ended up missing the remainder of the season. Schellenbach had a 3.09 ERA and a 0.96 WHIP in 110 2/3 innings across 17 starts this season.
Schwellenbach was one of the most reliable arms in the rotation before heading to the injured list. He completed at least seven innings in seven of his final nine starts of the season. One of those starts included a complete game on 105 pitches.
At this time, he’s expected to be healthy for Spring Training. He is one of the few guarantees from the group of starters who went down with an injury during the season. Grant Holmes has a chance to be back in time for reporting to North Port. He’s pitching off a mound already. Reynaldo Lopez is working toward being ready as well.
AJ Smith-Shawver is expected to miss the entire 2026 season as he recovers from a UCL injury that required Tommy John surgery. Chris Sale made it back before the end of last season.
All five starting pitchers from the Braves’ opening day rotation ended up on the 60-day injured list during the season. They were, for a time, all on it at the same time. Sale was the only one to return.
The rotation will look slightly different for next season. Schwellenbach will be a lock, along with Sale and Spencer Strider. Hurston Waldrep looked to have secured a spot by the end of last season with his meteoric rise in the final couple of months to end the season.
That leaves one spot that could go to other options in the system or to an outside addition from either a trade or free agency. Given the injuries we’ve seen, it can be expected that a few guys will get their chances during the 2026 season.
