Braves' Schwellenbach to start season on 60-day IL with elbow injury
Atlanta Braves right-hander Spencer Schwellenbach is dealing with elbow inflammation and will start the 2026 season on the 60-day injured list, the team said Tuesday, according to Mark Bowman of MLB.com.
Schwellenbach is expected to miss significant time, per Bowman, who adds that the Braves are hoping the pitcher's injury is a result of bone spurs.
The Braves said Schwellenbach was preparing for camp but felt discomfort about 10 days ago. The club reportedly believes the injury isn't a UCL issue.
The 25-year-old suffered a fractured right elbow last July that ended his 2025 campaign.
Schwellenbach owns a 3.23 ERA with 1.01 WHIP and 9.0 K/9 over 234 1/3 innings (38 starts) since debuting in 2024.
Atlanta finished 76-86 last year, the club's first sub.-500 season since 2016, after being ravaged by injuries.
The Braves are already dealing with the loss of Schwellenbach and starting shortstop Ha-Seong Kim, who's expected to miss four-to-five months after sustaining a hand injury in South Korea in January.