The Atlanta Braves cannot catch a break. Just days after placing ace Chris Sale on the 60-day injured list, Atlanta has been dealt another brutal blow in the form of an injury to starting pitcher Spencer Schwellenback. The young Braves pitcher was in line to pitch for the National League in the All-Star Game at his home park. Instead, he'll be out for the foreseeable future with the fractured elbow.
Schwellenback was placed in the 15-day injured list to start, but given how serious this injury is – and the typical recovery time – he won't be back for months. The Braves season was already on the brink of disaster, as they fell behind the surging Miami Marlins in the NL East standings. Now, they might as well sell any expiring contracts come the trade deadline. It's over.
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What the Spencer Schwellenbach injury update means for the Braves season
Well, it's not good! Braves fans are right to hit the panic button if they hadn't already following Sale's injury. Atlanta is well out of the postseason race as of this writing. The NL East is a pipe dream, and even their NL Wild Card odds are shrinking by the day. While there is still plenty of talent on this roster, the Braves rotation woes could cost them. If only they had that Max Fried guy...
Schwellenbach is expected to return at some point this season, per Mark Bowman. Thankfully the fracture is small enough that it shouldn't cost him the entire campaign. Schwellenbach will rest for four weeks before throwing again. From there, the Braves will ramp up his pitching program depending on how his elbow responds to treatment.
Braves fans can't catch a break this season
Along with the still-recovering Ronald Acuña Jr. and Spencer Strider, who returned to action earlier this season from major injuries, the Braves had to deal with an 80-game PED suspension to free-agent addition Jurickson Profar. While Profar is set to return on Wednesday, he alone cannot save the Braves season and if Atlanta were to reach the postseason, he would not be allowed to play in it.
Atlanta's current rotation leaves a lot to be desired, and it's not entirely their fault. Injuries to Sale, Schwellenbach and Reynaldo Lopez have forced them to rely heavily on reinforcements, such as Grant Holmes, Bryce Elder and Didier Fuentes. No disrespect to any of those players, but they cannot fill voids left by last season's NL Cy Young winner and All-Star level talents in Schwellenbach and Lopez.
It's going to be a long summer for Braves fans. Buckle up.