Braves will begin season without starters Schwellenbach and Waldrep

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NORTH PORT, Fla. (AP) — Atlanta Braves right-handed starter Spencer Schwellenbach had surgery Wednesday to clean up “loose bodies” in his elbow, and rotation candidate Hurston Waldrep is scheduled to undergo a similar procedure next week.

While the Braves didn't reveal a timeline for when the pitchers could be available, manager Walt Weiss told reporters Wednesday that he is hopeful that both will be able to pitch this season.

Schwellenbach was placed on the 60-day injured list on Feb. 10, at the start of spring training, because of inflammation in his right elbow. The 25-year-old was 7-4 with a 3.08 ERA in 17 starts last year before missing the final three months of the season because of a broken right elbow.

Waldrep, the Braves' first-round pick out of Florida in the 2023 amateur draft, experienced discomfort after throwing batting practice over the weekend. An MRI showed no ligament damage for the pitcher who turns 24 on March 1.

Before getting hurt last season, Schwellenbach was 6-1 with a 2.60 ERA over his final 10 starts, with the Braves winning eight of those games. He had 71 strikeouts and 11 walks in 69 1/3 innings over that stretch. His big league debut came in 2024, when he was 8-7 with a 3.35 ERA in 21 starts.

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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB