Braves’ Season Worsens as Spencer Schwellenbach Lands on IL with Elbow Fracture
The Atlanta Braves’ turbulent 2025 season just hit another roadblock. The team announced Wednesday that pitcher Spencer Schwellenbach has been placed on the injured list with a fractured right elbow, dealing another serious blow to their already battered rotation.
Oddly, the Braves buried the news in a press release that focused primarily on other transactions—most notably the return of outfielder Jurickson Profar from an 80-game PED suspension. Schwellenbach’s injury was mentioned briefly at the bottom, with no further details provided by the club.
According to David O’Brien of The Athletic, Schwellenbach reportedly began experiencing discomfort the day after his last outing, in which he dazzled with 12 strikeouts over seven innings on June 28. He’s now expected to rest and avoid throwing for at least four weeks, with the hope of returning sometime in September.
The timing is especially brutal for the 25-year-old rookie, who had been enjoying a breakout season. Over 110 2/3 innings (3rd-most in the NL), Schwellenbach posted a stellar 3.09 ERA, struck out 108 batters, and earned a 2.2 fWAR—making him a dark horse Cy Young contender before the injury setback.
Atlanta’s rotation has been decimated in recent months. The Braves lost Chris Sale to a rib fracture, while AJ Smith-Shawver and Reynaldo López have also missed time. Schwellenbach’s injury only further exposes their thin pitching depth as they try to stay competitive in the NL playoff race.
Beyond the mound, the team has endured a wave of other challenges. Superstar Ronald Acuña Jr. missed a large portion of the season recovering from ACL surgery. Catcher Sean Murphy also spent time on the IL, and Profar’s suspension left another hole in the starting lineup during the first half.
With so many setbacks piling up, the Braves are finding it harder to keep their postseason hopes alive—and losing one of their top young arms certainly doesn’t help.
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