Braves Announce Bad News on 3 Starting Pitchers Before Rockies Game

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The Braves announced bad news involving three starting pitchers before their game against the Colorado Rockies.

The Atlanta Braves, weather permitting, open a three-game series against the National League West cellar-dwelling Colorado Rockies on Friday at Truist Park.

The Braves have won four straight coming into the series against the 52-82 Rockies who are tied with the Los Angeles Angels for the worst record in baseball. The Braves will look to seize the opportunity to expand their five-game lead over the Philadelphia Phillies in the NL East by beating up on the hapless Rockies.

But any optimistic mood was darkened before the game, when Braves manager Walt Weiss announced dire news on three of Atlanta’s top starting pitchers all in one statement.

Hurston Waldrep and Spencer Schwellenbach are both headed for new elbow surgeries, and manager Walt Weiss said Spencer Strider is unlikely to pitch again in 2026. Weiss delivered all three updates to the media in the same pregame statement.

Waldrep will have Tommy John surgery, and Schwellenbach will have a follow-up procedure after a flare-up of the elbow fracture that first sidelined him last year, according to Mark Bowman of MLB.com. Longtime national baseball writer Barrett Sallee confirmed both operations and relayed Weiss’ assessment that Strider’s return this season is unlikely.

Atlanta Braves’ Waldrep, Schwellenbach Facing Surgery

Waldrep, Atlanta’s first-round draft pick out of Florida in 2023, broke out in 2025 with a 2.88 ERA over 56 1/3 innings before a February MRI found loose bodies in his elbow. Doctors initially hoped a cleanup procedure would settle the issue, but the issue persisted. Tommy John surgery typically sidelines starting pitchers well into the following season, pushing Waldrep’s return outlook toward 2028.

Schwellenbach has been one of the sport’s steadier young arms since debuting in 2024, posting a 3.23 ERA across 38 career starts. He fractured his right elbow last June, had loose bodies removed in February and spent the summer rebuilding arm strength, throwing bullpens by late July with a plan to face hitters and build up, according to MLB.com. Friday’s news means a second operation on the same elbow, with his path back even less certain than it was a week ago.

Braves’ Spencer Strider Faces Dead End In 2026

Strider missed Atlanta’s first 34 games with a strained left oblique, then made eight starts, going 4-2 with a 5.31 ERA over 39 innings. His fastball sank into the upper 80s during a June 13 start at the Mets, when he allowed seven earned runs in three innings before landing on the injured list with right-elbow inflammation.

An MRI showed no new ligament tear, and Dr. Keith Meister ordered four weeks without throwing before a follow-up scan. The caution made sense given Strider’s elbow has already survived Tommy John surgery at Clemson in 2019 and an internal-brace repair in 2024, leaving little native ligament to work with.

Atlanta’s rotation for October remains Chris Sale, Bryce Elder, Tyler Mahle, Grant Holmes, Martín Pérez and AJ Smith-Shawver, who returned this year from his own Tommy John surgery. That group has kept the Braves atop the National League East despite absorbing three separate long-term injuries to what was supposed to be the heart of the staff.

Waldrep, Schwellenbach and Strider are no longer in the 2026 picture. Waldrep’s timeline points toward 2028. Schwellenbach’s next chance depends on how his bone heals and how quickly he can ramp back up. Strider, still under contract through 2028 with a club option for 2029, is the biggest name of the three, and the one whose 2027 outlook now hinges entirely on an elbow that has already been rebuilt twice.