Injuries are just a part of all sports. With so many guys making quick-twitch movements and running into each other at high rates of speed, the human body can only take so much. Unfortunately, it is a risk that players and teams simply have to take to be successful. To win games, you have to play with energy and effort, and those are also ingredients for injuries to happen. Unfortunately, the Atlanta Braves seem to be particularly afflicted by the injury bug in recent years.
The second half of the 2024 season saw key injuries force the Braves to limp into the postseason. A slew of guys going on the shelf (as well as a historically terrible early season) in 2025 kept Atlanta from making it into the playoffs at all. Now, with the 2026 season being pivotal for a number of reasons, they are already dealing with a number of guys who are banged up and on the shelf.
Here are the Braves players who are set to start the 2026 season on the injured list, and what is wrong with them
There is still a good bit of time before Opening Day, so we could see some guys who are on the 15-day injured list get transferred to the 60-day IL, which would obviously change players' return timelines. However, here are the Braves players who are poised to begin the 2026 season on the shelf and what is going on with them.
Sean Murphy - Right hip labral tear/surgery (Return Date: May)
Murphy may be one of the more difficult guys to project as information on his recovery has been very limited. Initially, it was thought that the procedure on his hip that he had last September wouldn't impact his Opening Day availability. That has obviously changed as time has gone on, but he is doing some light baseball activities, and there hasn't been any news of a setback. An early May return seems to be possible, but it is hard to guess until we know more.
Hurston Waldrep - Right elbow inflammation/clean-up procedure (Return Date: Summer)
Waldrep seemed to be trending towards forcing the Braves' hand when it came to putting him in the Opening Day rotation after a very strong showing in 2025. Unfortunately, soreness in his throwing elbow led to a diagnosis of loose bodies in his elbow that required surgery to remove. Thankfully, it doesn't sound like there was anything structurally wrong, but it is still very likely to be early June at the earliest before he returns.
Ha-Seong Kim - Torn tendon in right middle finger/surgery (Return Date: Early May)
Why can't the Braves have nice things? Only a month after the Braves re-signed Kim to finally address their shortstop situation, Kim fell on some ice while at home in South Korea and tore the tendon in his right middle finger. Considering the alternatives, only hurting his finger in the fall is a tad lucky, and based on current reports, Kim should be back at some point in early May, barring some sort of setback.
Spencer Schwellenbach - Right elbow inflammation/bone spur removal surgery (Return Date: Summer)
This one is brutal. Schwellenbach looked like one of the better pitchers in baseball last season before he was diagnosed with a broken elbow and missed the rest of the season. All indications were that he was going to be ready to roll at the start of the season, and fans were excited to see what he could do. Unfortunately, inflammation in his throwing elbow, caused by bone spurs at camp, crushed those hopes, and Schwellenbach required surgery. There is a good chance that he could return at some point this summer, but he will almost certainly be out longer than Waldrep, and missing the entire season isn't out of the question depending on his recovery and how extensive the bone spur removal actually was.
Joey Wentz - Torn ACL/surgery (Return Date: 2027)
That the Braves were in such a position where Wentz was a prime rotation candidate in camp was already bad enough. Now, after tearing his ACL in a spring training game in March, the Braves are essentially out of starting pitch depth. Wentz should be back in 2027, and we will see where he stands then, but he has already been ruled out for the rest of the 2026 season.
AJ Smith-Shawver - Tommy John surgery (Return Date: late 2026/2027)
Smith-Shawver looked like he was going to give Drake Baldwin a run for his money in 2025 for NL Rookie of the Year as he looked very strong through nine starts. Unfortunately, his elbow gave out, and he needed Tommy John surgery in early June. Based on the normal timeline to return from Tommy John, Smith-Shawver could come back late in the season, but the Braves may opt to play it safe and give him a fresh start in 2027.
Joe Jiménez - Left knee surgery (Return Date: No timetable, possibly late 2026)
It is anyone's guess as to whether or not Jimenez will ever pitch for the Braves again. Severe problems with the cartilage in his left knee cost him all of last season, and the current word now is that there is no guarantee Jimenez will play at all this season as well. There is a chance he returns late in the season, but don't hold your breath. It might be better odds that Jimenez retires (pure conjecture) than that he returns to the Braves' bullpen anytime soon.
Danny Young - Tommy John surgery (Return Date: Late 2026)
Finally, we come to Danny Young, who made a handful of appearances with the Braves in 2022 and 2023 and who needed Tommy John surgery last May with the Mets. Atlanta brought Young back on a split contract, which seems to imply that the Braves think he could pitch this year. Given the timing of his surgery, it is probably best to assume that it would be late in the 2026 season when he returns at the earliest.