A Mets rival took a major blow to its starting rotation on Tuesday.
Braves righty Spencer Schwellenbach was placed on the 60-day injured list with inflammation in his throwing elbow.
The injury is the latest setback for the 25-year-old right-hander, who missed the final three months of the 2025 season after fracturing the same elbow in late June.
“I feel for Spencer more than anything else,” new Braves manager Walt Weiss told reporters. “The kid has done some amazing things in a short time, and still has a bright future ahead of him. But I’m sure it’s tough for him.”
While Weiss said Schwellenbach avoided a more serious injury to his ulnar collateral ligament, he said the young pitcher is still expected to miss a “significant amount” of time.
Before going down last summer, Schwellenbach emerged as an ace-like presence in the starting rotation, posting a 3.09 ERA across 17 starts.
In 2024, Schwellenbach’s rookie season, he looked just as strong, registering a 3.35 ERA in 21 outings.
The injury continues what has been a nightmare stretch for the Braves’ starting staff over the past year-plus, with Spencer Strider, Chris Sale, Reynaldo Lopez, Grant Holmes and AJ Smith-Shawver also missing time in 2025.
“I always say before a season even starts, your pitching depth is going to get tested,” Weiss said. “It’s inevitable. You’d rather not have it be right away in February, but we’ve got a lot of capable guys in there. They’re going to get a look, and that’s exciting.”
After coming into the season with World Series aspirations, the Braves finished 76-86, missing the playoffs for the first time since 2017.
But they’re expected to once again be a division contender in the National League East alongside the Mets and Phillies this season.