Braves: Timeline for the return of Spencer Schwellenbach revealed
The Braves have a number of high-upside starting pitchers working their way back from major injuries. Hurston Waldrep made his season debut last week after undergoing surgery to remove loose bodies in his elbow at the beginning of Spring Training. AJ Smith-Shawver has begun his rehab assignment and will make his first rehab start on […]
The Braves have a number of high-upside starting pitchers working their way back from major injuries.
Hurston Waldrep made his season debut last week after undergoing surgery to remove loose bodies in his elbow at the beginning of Spring Training. AJ Smith-Shawver has begun his rehab assignment and will make his first rehab start on Tuesday for the Augusta Green Jackets, and behind them is Spencer Schwellenbach.
There was at least some level of concern that Schwellenbach would not return this season, but he’s continued to check boxes — and according to Braves beat reporter Mark Bowman, could head to Florida in the next couple of weeks to start ramping up activities and get ready for his rehab assignment.
Schwellenbach will likely head to Florida within the next week or two. If you look at that like it’s the start of Spring Training, he could become a candidate to start in late August or early September https://t.co/s0JaVp4fXg
— Mark Bowman (@mlbbowman) June 29, 2026
Schwellenbach returning this season still remains up in the air. With even the slightest setback, he’ll be shut down until 2027. However, things are looking much more optimistic with each passing week. He could rejoin the club and do so with enough time to prove he can be an asset for a potential postseason push.
When healthy, Spencer Schwellenbach is the best arm in the organization not named Chris Sale. He’s a legitimate frontline starter that was even viewed as a dark horse candidate for the Cy Young award before undergoing surgery on his elbow at the start of Spring Training.
That said, expectations for all these young arms returning from significant elbow injuries must be tempered. Schwellenbach has been sidelined for exactly one year, experiencing two different injuries to his throwing elbow over that time. The Braves shouldn’t be counting on him to be the guy he was in May of 2025, but it would be a scary late-season addition if he looked anything like that version.
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(Photo by Jeff Robinson/Icon Sportswire)
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