Walt Weiss has ominous update on Braves star Spencer Schwellenbach
Is Spencer Schwellenbach going to pitch for the Braves in 2026? That’s a question everybody has been wondering since it was announced he would need surgery on his elbow prior to the season, and while he’s back to throwing, Walt Weiss reminded everyone on Friday that Schwellenbach pitching this year is far from a guarantee. […]
Is Spencer Schwellenbach going to pitch for the Braves in 2026?
That’s a question everybody has been wondering since it was announced he would need surgery on his elbow prior to the season, and while he’s back to throwing, Walt Weiss reminded everyone on Friday that Schwellenbach pitching this year is far from a guarantee.
Walt Weiss again said that Schwellenbach is still a long way from possibly returning this year.
— Mark Bowman (@mlbbowman) June 5, 2026
Spencer Schwellenbach ended the 2025 season on the IL after suffering a minor fracture in his elbow, and when he went down again right before the start of the 2026 campaign, the initial feeling was that he probably wouldn’t pitch again this year.
There have been positive developments recently, however. Schwellenbach was cleared to throw a couple of weeks ago and has worked his way up to 75 feet. Weiss said he’ll continue to progress slowly up to 120 feet, and at that point, they’ll see if he’s ready to throw bullpens. He’ll then progress to live action, and hopefully, begin a rehab assignment, which will essentially be like his Spring Training.
Simply put, this is going to be a very long and slow process for Spencer Schwellenbach with a lot of boxes to check. A single setback, and it’s pretty much a guarantee he will not pitch this season.
The promising news on the pitching side of things is that a couple of the Braves other talented young arms do look like they’ll return. Hurston Waldrep began his rehab assignment earlier this week, meaning he could rejoin the club in about a month.
Walt Weiss also said that AJ Smith-Shawver — who is working his way back from Tommy John surgery — is not far behind. He’s throwing high intensity bullpen sessions, the final step before he begins his rehab assignment as well.
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Photo: Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire
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