How the Atlanta Braves will plan to build their 2027 starting rotation has plenty of variables, from which relievers may move into the rotation, to whether certain pitchers will be healthy enough to fill spots.
The Braves' Spencers, Spencer Strider and Spencer Schwellenbach, are the two biggest question marks the team has on the injury front, with Strider missing the last 3.5 months of the season, and Schwellenbach missing the entire season.
With the GM meetings underway, Alex Anthopoulos provided updates on the two starters, with one getting a much more positive update than the other.
Couple updates from Alex Anthopoulos on Tuesday:
— Chad Bishop (@MrChadBishop) November 10, 2026
• Spencer Strider on track to be ready for spring/start of the season
• Team wanting Spencer Schwellenbach to take his comeback much more slowly and it’s unlikely right now he would be ready for the start of the ‘27 season
Spencer Strider gets positive update, while Spencer Schwellenbach's status not as positive
The AJC's Chad Bishop shared on Tuesday that Alex Anthopoulos said that the Braves expect Strider to be on track for the start of the season. The Braves 2024 Opening Day starter left his final start of 2026 with elbow soreness, and did not pitch again after June.
Although Strider avoided surgery, the Braves opted to take their time with the righty, with Strider not even throwing a baseball until August. It seems like the team's slow approach paid off, as he is expected to be ready for the start of the 2027 season.
While Strider has not met the lofty standards he set for himself in 2022 and 2023 since missing nearly all of 2024 with an elbow injury, he has shown flashes here and there, and is owed $22 million over the next two seasons.
Unfortunately, the news wasn't as optimistic for the club's other Spencer. Schwellenbach had just started to establish himself as one of the best pitchers in baseball in 2025 before fractured elbow knocked him out for the entire 2025 second half.
In 2026, he looked to be on track to return at the start of spring training, but the righty experienced setback after setback, which ended with him getting an elbow surgery at the end of August. With this surgery, it appears the Braves want to play it safe in 2027 and don't expect him to be ready at the start of the season.
While it's disappointing the Braves don't expect Schwellenbach to be ready for Opening Day, they no doubt would much rather have a completely healthy Schwellenbach who can pitch to the standards he was starting to set for himself in 2025, than one who isn't.
Even with the positive update on Strider, it won't be shocking if the Braves still go out and add multiple starters, as the Braves have found themselves short on arms over the last few seasons.
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