It's been a tough year for the Atlanta Braves' starting rotation. Injuries have been rampant and have significantly impacted one of the team's strengths. I suppose that's just the nature of professional baseball. Injuries are going to happen, and there's not much you can do to stop them.
Spencer Schwellenbach's elbow fracture was extremely tough to stomach. He was having another great season on the mound. He had a 3.09 ERA, 3.24 FIP, 18 walks, and 108 strikeouts over 110.2 innings before his injury.
Losing such a talented arm for the season was a massive blow for fans. Atlanta has done their best to fill innings in the absence of 4 of their top starters, and they've gotten some good performances from arms like Hurston Waldrep.
Spencer Schwellenbach starting throwing program is extremely encouraging for the Braves
Schwellenbach won't be back this season, but there's a lot of optimism that he will be ready by Opening Day in 2026. Recent reporting shows that Schwellenbach is now throwing on flat ground. According to Braves insider Grant McAuley, Schwelly did some flat ground work before Wednesday's game against the White Sox.
#Braves Spencer Schwellenbach was throwing today. Some flat ground work. Looked comfortable – maybe 40-50 throws. pic.twitter.com/mBreE7O184
— Grant McAuley (@grantmcauley) August 20, 2025
The ultimate goal for the Braves is to have Schwellenbach throw a live batting practice session before the season ends. This way, he has some momentum heading into the offseason, and it gives him a great chance at bouncing back strong.
It's good to see that his elbow has seemingly healed up well enough to start throwing. If he continues to progress well, that is excellent news. The Braves definitely need to consider adding a starting pitcher in the offseason. But it's encouraging to think about the potential rotation next season.
The offense has started to perform much better lately. Fans are getting something to cheer about despite the team being out of playoff contention. Finishing strong is going to be very important ahead of next season. That, coupled with pitchers getting healthy, is very good news.