The Atlanta Braves are in the midst of one of the roughest stretches of the season. Their offensive production has tanked a bit, and the pitching has started to show some cracks in the foundation. Bryce Elder has suddenly tanked, while Grant Holmes and JR Ritchie continue to be inconsistent. Atlanta needs to find a bit more confidence in this department, and fast.
The injuries to Hurston Waldrep and Spencer Schwellenbach before the season were a pretty big blow for the Braves. They both could have played important roles within the rotation in 2026. Fortunately, one of those pitchers is working his way back to the big leagues. Waldrep began a rehab assignment at the beginning of June with the FCL Braves. He's since progressed to Triple-A Gwinnett.
That's good news for the Braves after the recent struggles of a couple of arms and the injury to Spencer Strider. Waldrep could be called up sooner rather than later, especially after Ritchie's recent blunder of a start in San Diego.
Hurston Waldrep could end up being a very important piece for the Braves in the second half
It will be a sight for sore eyes, as Waldrep pitched so well for the Braves last year. He finished the season with a 2.88 ERA, 22 walks, and 55 strikeouts over 56.1 innings. Not a bad job by the youngster, but it must have taken a toll since he needed elbow surgery.
Luckily, it wasn't Tommy John surgery, but rather a procedure to remove loose bodies in his elbow. The recovery time for that isn't nearly as long, and it gives hope that he will pitch again this year. Things seem to be progressing well, as Waldrep has a 3.52 ERA over 15 innings total. He has 11 walks and 13 strikeouts. The walks aren't great, but to be expected when he's just getting back into the swing of things.
That would probably explain why the Braves didn't call him up when they optioned Ritchie back to Gwinnett. Atlanta probably wants to be cautious with rushing Waldrep back into intense competition. However, they may not have much of a choice should things keep going south for the rotation.
Expect Waldrep to spend the rest of the first half in the minors. There isn't long left until then, and the team can tread water until then. However, he could get the call once the second half begins.
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