The Braves got a wave of encouraging news on their injured starters this week, but not all of it comes with the same kind of urgency for 2026.
Spencer Strider and Hurston Waldrep, both working through elbow inflammation, are set to skip surgery and start throwing programs this week. That’s a meaningful development for their long-term outlook, even if it does little for the Braves right now.
Walt Weiss said he can’t count on either pitcher to take the mound again this season, and that remains the most realistic expectation. Had surgery been the route, both would have been done for all of next year as well.
Still, Strider’s situation leaves a tiny opening. The Braves could potentially give him a brief look late in the year, maybe even out of the bullpen, to see whether he can offer anything in relief.
He’s struggled badly as a starter since InternalBrace surgery in 2024, but the organization still sees him as a starter in the long run. For this season, though, there’s no path for him to make an impact in that role.
Waldrep is in a similar spot, though the expectation is even more muted. The throwing program is a positive step, but it’s not pointing toward a return in 2026. The best-case scenario is simply that avoiding surgery keeps next year in play.
Spencer Schwellenbach is a bit further along in the recovery process. He started throwing in June and has already thrown several bullpens.
Even so, the outlook for a 2026 return keeps getting worse. He still hasn’t begun a rehab assignment, and that alone suggests he’s not fully feeling right yet.
A relief role is still technically possible, but a return to the rotation is fading fast. If he’s going to be considered for anything more than a cameo, he’d need to start that rehab assignment within the next 10 days.
Reynaldo Lopez is the one injured Braves arm who looks most likely to help this season. He’s dealing with knee inflammation and is already throwing bullpens, with activation possible within the next week or so. The question isn’t really whether he’ll be back, but how the Braves will use him once he is.
The cleanest answer is the bullpen. Chris Sale is locked in as the No. 1 starter, and Martin Pérez, Tyler Mahle, and Grant Holmes have done enough lately to hold their rotation spots.
AJ Smith-Shawver is getting a chance to start as well, and Bryce Elder is still in the mix. Atlanta could go to a six-man rotation the rest of the way to keep everybody fresh, especially with its division lead, but Lopez doesn’t have an obvious opening in the rotation.
His history as a reliever makes the bullpen the likeliest landing spot.
In Other News...
Braves Payroll Risks Are Starting To Look Much Worse
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Jurickson Profar, Spencer Strider, Austin Riley, Sean Murphy and Yaz all sit somewhere on that uneasy spectrum, and the Braves do not get the luxury of ignoring it for long. Each contract represents real future money and real expectation, and the recent trend lines have made the margin for error much thinner than it once looked. Atlanta still has the advantage of stability compared with a lot of teams, but these are the kinds of commitments that can turn into roster-defining problems if the front office is forced to make hard calls before the picture clears. [Read more 🡒]
Jorge Mateos Next Step Could Say Plenty About The Braves
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For the Braves, Mateos market is a reminder of how much value there can be in players who can cover shortstop, second base and the outfield without much warning. The White Sox have already shown interest, and Tampa Bay is also among the teams said to be in the mix, which suggests his next stop may come down to which club sees the most immediate need for a versatile spare part as the season tightens. [Read more 🡒]
Braves Rotation Suddenly Has A Good Problem Fans Did Not Expect
The Braves rotation has taken on an unexpectedly stable look at a time when injury issues might have made things much messier. Martn Prez kept the good stretch going in the recent win over the Mets, running his scoreless innings streak to 18 and giving Atlanta another steady turn while the offense did its part, with Matt Olson matching the MLB home run lead at 35.
There are still reasons for the Braves to keep monitoring the pitching depth chart, though. Reynaldo Lpez has begun inching forward after his time on the injured list, and AJ Smith-Shawver is back in the rehab mix at Triple-A Gwinnett, leaving Atlanta with more rotation options than it seemed likely to have not long ago. The larger question now is how soon those arms can be folded back into a staff that suddenly looks more crowded than compromised. [Read more 🡒]