Schwellenbach (elbow) is still not feeling 100 percent and will have his throwing progression slowed, Grant McAuley of the Marietta Daily Journal reports.
Schwellenbach has been throwing bullpen sessions for several weeks as he works his way back from surgery to remove bone spurs from his right elbow. However, he hasn't felt totally comfortable and is still searching for his pre-surgery velocity. Once he's ready, Schwellenbach will head back to Atlanta's spring training facility in Florida to begin facing hitters. There's no timetable for when that will happen, however, and Schwellenbach is running out of time to get ramped up enough to return later this season.
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Braves' Spencer Schwellenbach: Not yet facing hitters
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Schwellenbach (elbow) was present in Atlanta on Monday to continue his rehab program, but he has yet to receive clearance to face hitters, Mark Bowman of MLB.com reports.
Though he began his throwing program in late May, Schwellenbach still hasn't advanced beyond tossing bullpen sessions more than two months later. The right-hander isn't believed to have experienced any setbacks in his recovery from February surgery to remove bone spurs in his elbow; instead, his slow progress appears to be a result of his struggles to regain velocity. Schwellenbach is still expected to return from the 60-day injured list before season's end, but hope is fading for the 26-year-old to get fully stretched out for a starting role.
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Braves' Spencer Schwellenbach: Velocity not yet back
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Schwellenbach (elbow) will likely throw a few more bullpen sessions before being cleared to face live hitters, and he hasn't yet regained his full velocity, Mark Bowman of MLB.com reports.
The 26-year-old right-hander has been throwing bullpens, both at Atlanta's spring training complex in Florida and with the big-league club, for a few weeks now, and the team has been mostly pleased with the results. "He looked good," manager Walt Weiss said after Schwellenbach's most recent session Friday. "The ball is coming out good. I've gotten some good reports on him. He's adding to his workload right now. The next step is to face live hitters after throwing about three more bullpens. But he's moving in the right direction and he feels good." While his elbow has held up so far, his velocity isn't yet back at pre-surgery levels, although he has been topping 90 mph in recent outings. If he stays on track, Schwellenbach could begin a rehab assignment in mid-August, and pitching in the majors before the end of the season hasn't been ruled out.
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Braves' Spencer Schwellenbach: Could face hitters soon
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Schwellenbach (elbow) has joined his team in Atlanta and will throw a couple bullpen sessions in front of the coaching staff, Mark Bowman of MLB.com reports.
If that goes well, Schwellenbach could be cleared to face hitters within the next week or two. Schwellenbach has been out all year following surgery to remove bone spurs from his right elbow, and he was also sidelined for the final three months of last season with a small fracture in the elbow. The right-hander is trending in the right direction and has a chance to pitch for Atlanta before the end of the 2026 season, but he still has several boxes to check before making that happen.
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Braves' Spencer Schwellenbach: Cleared for mound work
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Schwellenbach (elbow) has been cleared to throw bullpen sessions, MLB.com reports.
It's not yet clear as to when Schwellenbach might embark on a rehab assignment, but he appears to be trending in the right direction. He'll likely be asked to complete several more bullpen sessions without issue before the club feels comfortable putting him up against live hitters.
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Braves' Spencer Schwellenbach: No timeline for rehab stint
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Atlanta manager Walt Weiss said Friday that Schwellenbach (elbow) lacks a clear timeline to begin a rehab assignment, Chad Bishop of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.
Atlanta had some hope that the 26-year-old right-hander would be able to make his season debut before the end of August, but he'll need to get back into game action in the minors within the next week or two for that to be a realistic possibility. Schwellenbach is recovering from a fractured elbow he suffered last June, having put together a 3.09 ERA, 0.97 WHIP and 108:18 K:BB through 110.2 innings in 2025 up to that point.
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Braves' Spencer Schwellenbach: Eyes late August/early September
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Schwellenbach (elbow) will likely report to Atlanta's spring training facility in early July and could be a candidate to rejoin the major-league rotation by late August or early September, Mark Bowman of MLB.com reports.
To this point, Atlanta has only ruled Schwellenbach -- who is coming back from surgery to remove bone spurs from his right elbow -- out through the All-Star break. Bowman, though, notes that a typical spring training buildup could have Schwellenbach big-league ready by late August or early September. Any timeline for the righty is approximate at this point, as he still has several boxes to check in the rehab process.
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Braves' Spencer Schwellenbach: Begins throwing program
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Schwellenbach (elbow) has begun throwing on flat ground, Chad Bishop of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.
Schwellenbach began his throwing progression last week, per Grant McAuley of the Marietta Daily Journal, and did some more light tossing at Fenway Park pregame Tuesday. Atlanta has already ruled Schwellenbach out through the All-Star break, and a clear timetable won't be available until he starts ramping things up. Schwellenbach underwent surgery in February to remove bone spurs from his right elbow.
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Braves' Spencer Schwellenbach: Nearing throwing program
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Schwellenbach (elbow) received a positive update when evaluated last week and is expected to start a throwing program soon, Chad Bishop of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.
The 25-year-old right-hander has already been ruled out for the first half of the season while recovering from surgery to remove bone spurs from his right elbow. Still, starting up a throwing program is a major step in Schwellenbach's rehab progression. He'll likely ramp up his throwing slowly once officially cleared before returning to mound.
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Braves' Spencer Schwellenbach: Will not return in first half
Rotowire
Atlanta manager Walt Weiss said Tuesday that Schwellenbach (elbow) has yet to begin a throwing program and will not make his season debut until after the All-Star break, Grant McAuley of the Marietta Daily Journal reports.
Schwellenbach underwent surgery in February to remove bone spurs from his right elbow. The right-hander is making good progress, per Weiss, but there's no word yet on when he will be cleared for throwing. Schwellenbach was also sidelined for the final three months of the 2025 campaign with a small fracture in his elbow, so the club is proceeding extra cautiously with the hurler's rehab.
Atlanta announced that Schwellenbach underwent a procedure Wednesday to remove bone spurs from his right elbow, Mark Bowman of MLB.com reports.
The team hasn't issued a timeline for Schwellenbach's return, but manager Walt Weiss said that he's hopeful that the 25-year-old right-hander will be able to pitch at some point in 2026. At the very least, Schwellenbach will miss the first two months of the season after Atlanta placed him on its 60-day injured list last week. Atlanta's rotation is already being tested in the early stages of the season; Hurston Waldrep (elbow) is slated to undergo a similar procedure as Schwellenbach on Monday, and AJ Smith-Shawver (elbow) is unlikely to be available until late in the second half after undergoing Tommy John surgery last June.
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Braves' Spencer Schwellenbach: Arthroscopic elbow surgery possible
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Schwellenbach said Wednesday that he could require arthroscopic surgery to remove bone spurs from his right elbow, Mark Bowman of MLB.com reports.
Schwellenbach is already required to miss the first two months of the season after being placed on the 60-day injured list Tuesday, and a scope on his elbow would likely extend that absence. The right-hander was also sidelined for the final three months of the 2025 campaign with a small fracture in his elbow. It's unclear when a decision about surgery will be made, but it should be soon.
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Braves' Spencer Schwellenbach: Cleared to resume throwing
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Schwellenbach (elbow) has resumed throwing and is hopeful to throw a live batting practice session in the near future, Grant McAuley of the Marietta Daily Journal reports.
Schwellenbach has received the green light to begin a throwing program in Atlanta as he continues to work back from a small fracture in his right elbow suffered at the end of June. McAuley notes that the club is optimistic Schwellenbach can complete a live BP session over the next week or so before being sent home for the winter, which effectively rules him out for the remainder of the 2025 season.
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Braves' Spencer Schwellenbach: Return this season looking unlikely
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Atlanta manager Brian Snitker said Monday that Schwellenbach (elbow) has yet to resume throwing, and the right-hander appears unlikely to return this season, David O'Brien of The Athletic reports.
Schwellenbach is a little more than a month removed from suffering a small fracture in his pitching elbow. While Atlanta has yet to officially rule the right-hander out for the season, he's without a timeline to resume throwing, and he'll need extended time to be built back up once he picks up a baseball. With Atlanta already essentially out of the playoff picture, the club has little incentive to push Schwellenbach to return in September.
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Braves' Spencer Schwellenbach: Moves to 60-day IL
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Atlanta transferred Schwellenbach (elbow) from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day IL on Sunday.
Schwellenbach felt soreness in his elbow a day after a June 28 start against the Phillies and was sent for further tests, which revealed a small fracture. The 25-year-old is expected to be shut down from throwing for at least four weeks and is unlikely to return to the Atlanta rotation until September, so his move to the 60-day IL won't affect his recovery timeline. The transaction clears a spot on the 40-man roster for reliever Jesse Chavez, whose contract was selected from Triple-A Gwinnett.
Schwellenbach (6-4) yielded two runs on four hits and a walk over seven innings Monday, striking out four and earning a win against the Mets.
Schwellenbach rolled through five shutout frames before Juan Soto popped a two-run shot in the sixth inning. Other than that, Schwellenbach allowed only one runner to reach scoring position. He's thrown at least seven innings in three straight outings and six of his last eight; during that span, he's produced a 3.04 ERA over 56.1 innings. Schwellenbach owns a 3.21 ERA with a 96:17 K:BB this season. He's projected for a home matchup with the Phillies this weekend.
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Braves' Spencer Schwellenbach: Punches out eight
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Schwellenbach did not factor in the decision during Tuesday's win over the Mets. He allowed four runs on six hits and two walks while striking out eight across seven innings.
Schwellenbach didn't have his best stuff Tuesday and gave up more than three earned runs for just the fourth time in 15 outings this season. He was taken deep by Juan Soto and Tyrone Taylor in the first and fifth frames, respectively, and Taylor also added a two-run double. Schwellenbach has struck out at least eight batters in four of his last five starts and now owns a 92:16 K:BB through 96.2 innings this season. He racked up a career-high 22 whiffs Tuesday, with seven coming via the fastball. Schwellenbach will carry a 3.26 ERA into his next start, which is lined up to be in Miami this weekend.
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Braves' Spencer Schwellenbach: Tosses first complete game
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Schwellenbach (5-4) earned the win against the Brewers on Wednesday, allowing two runs on five hits and no walks with nine strikeouts over nine innings.
Schwellenbach allowed runs in the second and eighth innings but still went the distance for his first career complete game. He was highly efficient, throwing 76 of 105 pitches for strikes while generating 15 whiffs. The 25-year-old has now worked at least six frames in seven straight outings, six of which have been quality starts. He'll carry a 3.11 ERA, 1.00 WHIP and 84:14 K:BB across 89.2 innings into a home matchup with the Mets next week.
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Braves' Spencer Schwellenbach: Fans 11 in losing effort
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Schwellenbach (3-4) took the loss Sunday against San Diego. He pitched seven innings, allowing four runs (two earned) on seven hits and no walks with 11 strikeouts.
After conceding a run in the first on a Jackson Merrill single, Schwellenbach breezed through the Padres' lineup until two unearned runs scored on a Gavin Sheets long ball in the sixth. Schwellenbach generated an astounding 20 whiffs on 101 total pitches to notch his first performance with double-digit Ks since April 4 against Miami. The Atlanta right-hander has pitched to a 3.42 ERA, 1.05 WHIP and 60:12 K:BB across 68.1 total innings. He currently lines up to make his next start against the Red Sox at home next weekend.
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Braves' Spencer Schwellenbach: Collects second win
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Schwellenbach (2-3) picked up the win Tuesday, giving up two runs on four hits and two walks over seven innings in a 5-2 victory over the Nationals. He struck out three.
He served up a leadoff homer to CJ Abrams and gave up another run before Atlanta's offense woke up in the bottom of the fourth inning, but Schwellenbach ended up cruising to a fairly comfortable win. The 24-year-old righty has produced seven quality starts in nine trips to the mound this season, and he'll take a 3.31 ERA, 1.07 WHIP and 46:11 K:BB through 54.1 innings into his next outing, which is scheduled to come on the road this weekend in Boston.
