The Braves may be staring at another lost arm, and this time it’s Hurston Waldrep.
Atlanta’s pitching depth has been tested hard the past couple of seasons, especially in the rotation, and the issue has shown up again in 2026. Waldrep, the 24-year-old right-hander and former first-round pick, left his Triple-A Gwinnett start on Sunday with right arm discomfort, adding another worrying chapter to a season already shaped by injury.
MLB.com’s Mark Bowman reported that the concern escalated quickly: “The Braves’ rotation concerns grew on Sunday when right arm discomfort forced Hurston Waldrep to exit his start with Triple-A Gwinnett. Braves manager Walt Weiss said before Monday's game vs. the Padres that Waldrep will be further evaluated this week. The 24-year-old hurler underwent arthroscopic surgery in February to remove loose bodies located around his right elbow,”
There still hasn’t been an official declaration that Waldrep’s season is finished. But Braves Today’s Lindsay Crosby added a telling detail on Saturday that strongly suggests the end may be near.
“Hurston Waldrep was at Gwinnett Field today, cleaning out his locker and taking his stuff. Teammates were spotted looking at his elbow during various conversations. Feels like that's a bit of confirmation that he's likely not coming back this year,” Crosby wrote.
That leaves Atlanta waiting on further evaluation, but the picture is obviously bleak. Waldrep’s year began with him working back from the February elbow procedure, and now he appears to be dealing with another setback that could keep him off the mound the rest of the way.
The Braves took Waldrep 24th overall in the 2023 MLB Draft and gave him a $2,997,500 contract, according to the Augusta Chronicle’s Ryne Dennis: “The Braves selected Waldrep with the 24th overall pick of the 2023 MLB Draft. He was given a $2,997,500 contract,”
If this does end his season, the next step becomes simple: get healthy and look ahead. The Braves would be hoping for a full return in 2027, but for now another promising young pitcher is stuck on the shelf, and Atlanta’s rotation takes another hit.
In Other News...
Chris Sale Just Turned A Braves Umpire Dispute Into More Drama
Chris Sales irritation with a balk call carried right into the Braves matchup with the Yankees, turning what should have been a fresh start into another charged moment for Atlanta. The issue traces back to the previous game, when Sales manager, Walt Weiss, was already ejected for disputing the ruling, leaving the Braves to deal with the fallout of an argument that never really cooled off.
Before the series finale even got going, the situation flared again and Sale was ejected, underscoring how much the call had lingered for Atlanta. Home plate umpire Dan Bellino had upheld the balk ruling after saying Sale failed to declare his pitching intentions, and the sequence left the Braves still sorting through one of those strange dugout disputes that can spill from one night into the next. [Read more 🡒]
Chris Sale Just Gave Braves Fans Another Yankees Flashpoint
Chris Sales latest run-in with an umpire added another layer of edge to a Braves-Yankees series that was already carrying some heat. Before the matchup, third-base umpire Dan Merzel ejected the left-hander, a day after Merzels balk call in the previous game set off a dispute that brought Braves manager Walt Weiss into the argument and ended with Weiss being tossed, too.
For Atlanta, it was the kind of sequence that can linger beyond one night, especially when the opponent is the Yankees and the emotions are already high. Sales ejection was the fourth of his career, while Weiss, in his first ejection as Braves manager, was left to absorb the fallout from a call that clearly did not sit well with the club. [Read more 🡒]