Two of the worst words MLB pitchers hear in spring training are “elbow inflammation.” After a full offseason, a premature elbow injury can derail a player’s season before it even begins.
The Atlanta Braves unfortunately came to terms with those words on Tuesday as promising young starter Spencer Schwellenbach was placed on the 60-day injured list with right elbow inflammation.
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The team hopes the 25-year-old Schwerenbach is suffering from bone spurs and not a more serious problem.
Even if the team gets “good” news from Schwellenbach, he will still miss the first two months of the 2026 MLB season. Once Opening Day arrives, players begin accruing time on the 60-day IL, and that time can only be rolled back a maximum of three days, guaranteeing that Schwellenbach will miss important games in 2026 even in the best-case scenario.
This story will be updated.