The Atlanta Braves’ disappointing season took another turn for the worse. Star pitcher Spencer Schwellenbach was placed on the injured list due to a fractured right elbow, the team announced Wednesday.
The Braves took an odd route when announcing the move, burying it in a lengthy press release that included three other transactions, including the return of outfielder Jurickson Profar from a PED suspension.
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At the end of that release, the team revealed Schwellenbach’s injury, though did not provide any additional details. Schwellenbach didn’t appear to shows signs of injury during his last start, in which he struck out 12 over seven innings June 28.
Schwellenbach apparently felt the injury a day after that start, per David O’Brien of The Athletic.
Schwellenbach won’t throw for four weeks as he recovers from the injury. The team hopes he’ll be able to return by September.
The injury puts a damper on a fantastic start to the season for the 25-year-old. Over 110 2/3 innings — which ranks third among all National League pitchers — Schwellenbach has a 3.09 ERA. He’s racked up 108 strikeouts and a 2.2 fWAR thus far, and had a shot at receiving Cy Young votes if he continued to pitch this well the rest of the way.
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The injury comes at a tough time for the Braves, who also lost eight-time All-Star pitcher Chris Sale to a rib fracture in June. The team also lost starters AJ Smith-Shawver and Reynaldo Lopez earlier this season, which significantly weakened its pitching depth.
In addition to injuries on the pitching side, the team also started the year without superstar Ronald Acuña Jr., who was recovering from an ACL injury. The Braves also dealt with an injury to catcher Sean Murphy and Profar’s PED suspension, leaving them without multiple starters for stretches at the beginning of the season.
Entering play Wednesday, Atlanta had a 38-46 record, good for fourth place in the National League East. The team already faced a tough road ahead if it hoped to recover and make the playoffs.
In order to get there, the team needed Schwellenbach to continue performing like an ace. His injury could prove to be the final nail in the coffin during a season Braves fans already want to forget.
