NORTH PORT, Fla. (AP) — The Atlanta Braves' rotation took another hit Sunday when manager Walt Weiss said right-hander Hurston Waldrep may need surgery to remove “loose bodies” found in his arm.
Waldrep complained of discomfort after throwing batting practice. Weiss said an MRI showed no ligament damage, but the team is waiting to learn more after Waldrep has additional tests.
“There’s some things in there that shouldn’t be there, I guess,” Weiss said, adding: “I think it’s fairly common with pitchers. I don’t want to elaborate on the loose bodies because I’m not totally sure, but probably needs to be dealt with. I don’t know what that looks like as far as a procedure or anything like that.”
A possible surgery leaves the Braves facing the loss of a second starting pitcher in five days. Right-hander Spencer Schwellenbach landed on the 60-day injured list on Tuesday because of inflammation in his right elbow.
Schwellenbach's 2025 season was cut short by a broken right elbow. He was expected to be one of Atlanta's top starters if fully recovered before he reported more issues with the elbow.
Waldrep, 23, was expected to compete for the No. 5 spot in the rotation. He was impressive in 10 games in the majors in 2025, including nine starts, leading some to believe he could emerge this season as one of the team's top starters. Waldrep was 6-1 with a 2.88 ERA last season.
The Braves now must prepare for the possibility of being without Waldrep for the start of the season.
“We know it needs to be dealt with somehow, some way, but we just don’t know the extent of it right now,” Weiss said.
Weiss said Waldrep had a strong early showing in camp.
“He’s a young kid with a really promising future,” Weiss said. “I mean the other day he opened up some eyes, you know, popping 99 (mph) right out of the gate. He threw several bullpens before he got down here. I think he’s had seven or eight bullpens, no issues. So sometimes it’s hard to retrace your steps and explain some of these things. But it’s all part of it.”
Braves general manager Alex Anthopoulos has said he was looking for pitching help, especially a starter who could be part of a postseason rotation. The team's other starting pitchers include Chris Sale, Spencer Strider, Reynaldo López, Grant Holmes, Joey Wentz, Bryce Elder and Martín Pérez.
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FILE - Atlanta Braves starting pitcher Hurston Waldrep (64) throws during a baseball game against the Washington Nationals, Sept. 17, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass, File)
