Braves' Schwellenbach to start season on 60-day IL with elbow injury

Atlanta Braves right-hander Spencer Schwellenbach is dealing with bone spurs in his throwing elbow and will start the 2026 season on the 60-day injured list, the team said Tuesday, according to Mark Bowman of MLB.com.

The Braves added that tests have shown Schwellenbach's UCL is structurally sound and he likely won't need surgery.

The team also said Schwellenbach was preparing for camp until feeling discomfort around the beginning of February.

The 25-year-old suffered a fractured right elbow last July that ended his 2025 campaign.

Schwellenbach owns a 3.23 ERA with 1.01 WHIP and 9.0 K/9 over 234 1/3 innings (38 starts) since debuting in 2024.

Atlanta finished 76-86 last year, the club's first sub.-500 season since 2016, after being ravaged by injuries.

The Braves are already dealing with the loss of Schwellenbach and starting shortstop Ha-Seong Kim, who's expected to miss four-to-five months after sustaining a hand injury in South Korea in January.