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Braves' Hurston Waldrep: Will undergo Tommy John surgery
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Waldrep will undergo Tommy John surgery on his right elbow, Mark Bowman of MLB.com reports.
Waldrep had surgery in February to remove loose bodies from his elbow and eventually made it back to the big leagues in July. However, he suffered a setback while at Triple-A Gwinnett and now it's been determined he'll need a more serious elbow operation. Waldrep will not be ready to pitch again until the 2028 season.
Atlanta manager Walt Weiss said Monday that Waldrep (arm) will begin a throwing program this week, Barrett Sallee of 680 The Fan Atlanta reports.
Waldrep was placed on the 7-day injured list July 21 due to what Atlanta referred to as right arm discomfort. The organization hasn't provided many details regarding Waldrep's injury since he was shut down, but the right-hander has now been given the green light to begin what could be a lengthy ramp-up process. According to Sallee, Weiss provided no guarantees that Waldrep will be available to pitch again this season, as Atlanta will see how he progresses through his throwing program before a potential return date is mapped out. Waldrep may not have enough time to get fully stretched back out as a starter, but a late-season return as a reliever would at least inspire some confidence about his health heading into 2027.
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Braves' Hurston Waldrep: Shelved at Triple-A
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Triple-A Gwinnett placed Waldrep (arm) on the 7-day injured list Tuesday.
Waldrep's move to the IL came just two days after he noticed a dip in velocity during a three-inning start versus Toledo. Specifics regarding Waldrep's injury remain vague, with Atlanta manager Walt Weiss merely noting that the right-hander experienced some arm discomfort during his most recent outing at Triple-A. Waldrep had coughed up 10 earned runs on 13 hits and 10 walks over 10.2 innings in three appearances (two starts) for Atlanta before he was demoted to Triple-A on July 10.
Braves' Hurston Waldrep: Exits Triple-A start with arm issue
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Atlanta manager Walt Weiss said Monday that Waldrep was removed from his start at Triple-A Gwinnett on Sunday after just 36 pitches because "his arm didn't feel right," Harrison Smajovits of SI.com reports.
Waldrep managed to throw three scoreless innings in the outing, but he averaged just 92.8 mph with his sinker, down from his 94.2 average. He will be evaluated before next steps are taken. Waldrep had surgery to remove loose bodies from his right elbow back in February, which caused him to miss the first two months of the season.
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Braves' Hurston Waldrep: Sent down to minors
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Atlanta optioned Waldrep to Triple-A Gwinnett on Friday.
Waldrep looked rusty in two starts and one relief appearance during his first stint with the big club this season, posting an 8.44 ERA, 2.16 WHIP and 9:10 K:BB over 10.2 innings. The young right-hander could eventually get another chance in the Atlanta rotation after the All-Star break, but he'll try to sharpen up at Gwinnett first. JR Ritchie is entering the rotation in Waldrep's place.
Waldrep (0-1) took the loss against the Pirates on Tuesday, allowing seven runs on six hits and five walks with two strikeouts over 3.1 innings.
All seven runs came via two Ryan O'Hearn home runs, but Waldrep threw just 45 of 84 pitches for strikes and generated only five whiffs. The 24-year-old has been shaky so far in his return to Atlanta's rotation, allowing 10 earned runs over two starts after throwing two scoreless frames in relief in his first appearance of the season June 28. He'll try to find his footing entering the All-Star break in a road matchup with the Cardinals this weekend.
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Braves' Hurston Waldrep: Another start coming Tuesday
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Waldrep is slated to start Tuesday's game against the Pirates in Pittsburgh, Lindsay Crosby of BravesToday.com reports.
Waldrep made his 2026 debut for Atlanta out of the bullpen before entering the rotation last week when Bryce Elder's turn was skipped. Though he fell just shy of the benchmarks for a quality start after allowing three earned runs over 5.1 innings last Thursday against the Cardinals, Waldrep will end up sticking around in the rotation while Elder slots back in as a replacement for the injured Martin Perez (forearm). Waldrep tentatively lines up for a two-start week, with his second outing expected to come Sunday in a rematch with the Cardinals on the road.
Waldrep took a no-decision Thursday against the Cardinals, allowing three runs on five hits and one walk in 5.1 innings. He struck out four.
Waldrep gave up all three of his runs in the opening frame, but he was at least able to settle in afterwards and push for a quality start. The 24-year-old right-hander threw 76 pitches in his second major-league outing of 2026, so he may not be fully built up to handle a traditional starter's workload quite yet. Waldrep is contending with Grant Holmes' for a rotation spot going forward, and Thursday's showing might have offered the club enough positive takeaways to hand Waldrep another chance to start next week in Pittsburgh.
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Braves' Hurston Waldrep: Confirmed as starter for Thursday
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Atlanta manager Walt Weiss confirmed that Waldrep will start Thursday's game against the Cardinals, Mark Bowman of MLB.com reports.
Waldrep made his 2026 debut with Atlanta last Friday, pitching two innings of relief behind starter Reynaldo Lopez. Both pitchers will be in the rotation this week, as Bryce Elder will have his turn skipped. Though Elder is expected to return to the rotation next week, Waldrep could end up sticking around in a starting role, as Atlanta is contemplating moving Grant Holmes to the bullpen. Waldrep's performance Thursday will likely influence that decision, though the right-hander shouldn't be expected to work more than five or six innings, regardless of how well he's pitching. Since completing his recovery from a Feb. 23 elbow procedure and beginning a rehab stint at the beginning of June, Waldrep hasn't tossed more than 71 pitches or covered more than 4.2 innings in any outing.
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Braves' Hurston Waldrep: Could enter rotation Thursday
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Waldrep could start Thursday's game against the Cardinals if he isn't needed out of the bullpen Wednesday, Mark Bowman of MLB.com reports.
Reynaldo Lopez is starting Wednesday's game, and if he's able to go at least 4-to-5 innings, Atlanta will likely go with Waldrep as its starter for Thursday's series finale. If the right-hander has to pitch in relief Wednesday, however, Grant Holmes could draw Thursday's start. Waldrep had surgery to remove loose bodies from his right elbow back in February, but he threw 55 pitches over two scoreless relief innings during his season debut for Atlanta last week. His highest pitch count over five minor-league starts was 71, so the righty isn't fully stretched out yet.
Braves' Hurston Waldrep: Likely to move into rotation
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Waldrep is a likely candidate to join the Atlanta rotation in the near future, Mark Bowman of MLB.com reports.
The 24-year-old right-hander was added to the 26-man roster Friday and threw 55 pitches over two relief innings that day, working behind Reynaldo Lopez. Lopez's next start is scheduled for Wednesday and manager Walt Weiss has hinted that the duo could be piggybacked, but Atlanta is also likely looking for ways to get Bryce Elder some extra rest, as he showed reduced velocity in his last start and has struggled over the second half of June. Once Waldrep is further stretched out, he could join a six-man rotation that gets the team through to the All-Star break -- Atlanta doesn't get another day off before the break once they begin a series against the Cardinals on Tuesday.
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