The Braves are staring at a September stretch that could shape everything, and the timing of Robert Suarez’s recovery has suddenly become a major storyline.
Atlanta opens the month with a run through the Nationals, Phillies, Rays, and Cubs, and the six games against Philadelphia loom largest of all. The Braves will play three in Philly and three in Atlanta, a matchup that could go a long way toward deciding the division race. To keep pace, Atlanta needs clean work from every part of the roster - the rotation, the bullpen, and the lineup.
That’s why Suarez’s elbow inflammation, which flared up at the end of June, has been such a headache. He was Alex Anthopoulos’ biggest offseason addition, and before the injury, he had been one of the most effective relievers in baseball.
The Braves’ bullpen has held up reasonably well without him. Its 3.42 ERA ranks fourth in baseball, which is no small feat. Even so, there’s no question they’d look stronger with Suarez available again, especially if October is in play.
There is at least some encouraging news on that front. Suarez has now reached the stage in his rehab where he can start throwing bullpens, and Braves insider Mark Bowman reported that those sessions are set to begin next week.
The plan is for Robert Suarez to begin throwing bullpens early next week.
- Mark Bowman (@mlbbowman) August 27, 2026
That timeline likely rules him out for the upcoming Phillies series, but it does suggest a return could come a couple of weeks before the postseason. He’s also reportedly felt good while throwing from 100 feet as he builds back arm strength.
If Suarez does make it back in time for the stretch run, Atlanta gets an immediate lift. He’d also help ease the burden on Raisel Iglesias, who has had a rougher month than the Braves would like.
Over the last month, Iglesias has posted a 4.15 ERA and a 4.60 FIP, while allowing 29 hits, including five home runs, along with 12 walks and 29 strikeouts. The last two weeks have been a little better, though still uneven.
Suarez’s season numbers show why the Braves want him back so badly. He owns a 0.56 ERA with four saves, 12 holds, six walks, and 26 strikeouts in 32 innings. Opponents are hitting just .190 against him, and that kind of production would give Atlanta a major boost at exactly the right time.
In Other News...
Braves Offseason Trade Picture Is Already Getting More Interesting
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Houston, Seattle, the Angels and Minnesota all stand out as possible trade partners, each offering different paths for Atlanta to explore. The timing adds another layer, too, with the possibility of a lockout beginning Dec. 1 hanging over the market and potentially slowing the usual winter churn. For a team in win-now mode, that means the next few weeks may be just as important for mapping out the market as making the first move. [Read more 🡒]
Braves September Call Ups Put Two Very Different Roles In Focus
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Burkhalter gives Atlanta another look at a pitcher the organization has clearly liked enough to reward for his work at the upper levels, while Farmer offers the kind of infield depth and veteran insurance that can matter in September. The setup makes sense for a team trying to manage the final stretch, even if the real intrigue is how quickly Burkhalter can settle in once the games start to count at this level. [Read more 🡒]
Braves Suddenly Face A Frightening Spencer Schwellenbach Question
The Braves rotation depth took another hard hit when the club announced that pitchers Hurston Waldrep and Spencer Schwellenbach will need surgeries for elbow injuries. Waldrep is set for Tommy John surgery, while Schwellenbach will have a screw placed in his elbow to repair a fracture, a particularly troubling development for a pitcher the organization has been trying to build around.
Schwellenbachs situation is the one that hangs over the staff now, because this is already his second surgery in a year and his ability to pitch again is unclear. For a Braves team that has leaned on young arms and tried to keep its pitching pipeline intact, the news only adds to a string of setbacks that has made every injury update feel bigger than the last. [Read more 🡒]