The last couple of days of spring training haven't brought the best news for Atlanta Braves fans. Spencer Schwellenbach is back on the 60-day IL with right elbow inflammation, and now Atlanta has to consider adding a starting pitcher a month out from the season starting.
The Braves did a good job adding some high-leverage arms to their bullpen this offseason, however. There was hope that they'd be able to return one more arm from injury at some point in 2026 to bolster the pen even more.
Unfortunately, things aren't looking good in that department either. Joe Jimenez has been out with a knee injury since the end of the 2024 season. He missed all of last season and had a clean-up procedure in the offseason. There was no timetable for his return after that, and it's looking more likely he won't be available at all this season. Jimenez landed on the 60-day IL after the Braves announced their acquisition of INF Brett Wisely.
Braves giving Joe Jimenez the deal he did is one they would probably give almost every single time in the same situation
According to Braves insider Mark Bowman, manager Walt Weiss doesn't know if he will be available at all, calling his knee issue a "very complex injury."
Weiss said he doesn’t know if Joe Jimenez will be available this year. He described the knee ailment as a “very complex injury.”
— Mark Bowman (@mlbbowman) February 11, 2026
This is an extremely tough pill to swallow, as Jimenez was one of the best arms in the bullpen since his acquisition from the Tigers. He is in the final year of his three-year, $26 million contract. No one could have expected his knee injury would become this big a problem. He pitched incredibly well during the 2023 and 2024 seasons. Jimenez had a 2.81 ERA over 125 innings with 37 walks and 155 strikeouts.
It seemed like he was going to be a great pick-up for Atlanta. However, injury severity is hard to predict when signing long-term contracts. Even though Jimenez is likely to miss the final two years of the contract, there's no reason for the front office to regret the contract. He was worth every penny when he was on the field.
The Braves have not had the best luck with injuries over the last couple of seasons. Hopefully, everyone gets a break from that misery in 2026. Early signs aren't very promising, but only time will tell.