ATLANTA (AP) — Atlanta Braves right-handers Spencer Schwellenbach and Hurston Waldrep will have season-ending surgeries following setbacks in their rehabilitations from right elbow procedures before the season.
The Braves on Friday announced Waldrep will require Tommy John surgery, which could sideline him for the 2027 season. Schwellenbach had surgery to remove bone spurs from his right elbow in February and his season-ending procedure will address more bone spurs. Schwellenbach missed the final three months in 2025 with a fractured eight elbow.
Waldrep had a procedure to remove loose bodies from his right elbow before the season.
Schwellenbach and Waldrep each experienced discomfort while throwing recently, leading to MRIs that led to the recommendations for each to have surgery.
Meanwhile, manager Walt Weiss said right-hander Spencer Strider, who has been on the injured list since June 13 with right elbow inflammation, is facing diminished odds of returning this season.
“That window is getting smaller,” Weiss said before Friday night's game against Colorado. “You start to run out of time. So I wouldn't rule it out but I'd say it's a long shot.”
Weiss said Schwellenbach and Waldrep “have had a very uneven road back” in their recoveries from the elbow surgeries in spring training but still said he didn't expect they would require the season-ending surgeries.
“I was still surprised because the guys were going through their throwing progressions,” Weiss said. “Then at some point, if things aren’t right, it’s gonna flare up again and that’s what happened with both guys.”
Weiss said the Braves received “multiple opinions from the best doctors in the country” before moving forward with plans for new surgeries. Dates for the surgeries have not been set.
The losses of Schwellenbach and Waldrep and the possible loss of Strider for the remainder of the season robs the NL East-leading Braves of potential depth for their rotation as they prepare for the playoffs.
Left-hander Chris Sale, who threw a shutout in Thursday night's 1-0 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers, remains the Braves' ace. Bryce Elder, Martín Pérez, Grant Holmes and Tyler Mahle join Sale in the rotation.
Weiss said right-handed reliever Robert Suarez, also on the injured list with right elbow inflammation, is expected to throw off a mound next week.
See AP’s full MLB coverage here
FILE - Atlanta Braves pitcher Spencer Schwellenbach (56) throws during the first inning of a baseball game against the Milwaukee Brewers, June 11, 2025, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Kayla Wolf, File)
FILE - Atlanta Braves pitcher Hurston Waldrep delivers in the first inning of a baseball game against the St. Louis Cardinals, July 2, 2026, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Colin Hubbard, File)
DENVER (AP) — Cale Makar and the Colorado Avalanche agreed to a $163.2 million, eight-year extension on Friday that will make him the highest paid player in league history.
The terms of the deal were confirmed by his agency, Bartlett Hockey.
Makar’s extension is set to be the the richest in NHL history, surpassing the eight-year, $136 million extension signed by Minnesota forward Kirill Kaprizov last September. Makar's deal runs through the 2034-35 season.
With an annual average value (AAV) of $20.4 million beginning in 2027-28, Makar’s deal eclipses that of San Jose Sharks superstar Macklin Celebrini, who signed a five-year, $94 million extension in late July and has an $18.8 million AAV.
Makar’s record-setting deal could push the limit even higher with Edmonton's Connor McDavid and Toronto's Auston Matthews eligible for extensions next summer.
“I couldn’t be more excited to continue my journey here with the Avalanche in this amazing city of Denver,” Makar said in a video posted on social media by the team, calling it a historic day. “Here’s to another hopefully amazing nine years.”
The 27-year-old Makar is coming off a season in which he had 20 goals and 59 assists. He finished second to Zach Werenski of Columbus in the Norris Trophy voting, an award that goes to the league’s top defenseman. Makar has won the award twice over his career.
The cap hit for Makar for last season was $9 million after signing a six-year, $54 million contract in 2021. The new deal for Makar now sets the bar for fellow standout defensemen Quinn Hughes of Minnesota and Werenski.
Securing the long-term services of Makar was a high priority this offseason for president of hockey operations/general manager Joe Sakic, who maintained that Makar was “going to finish his career” in Colorado. Makar was taken fourth overall by Colorado in 2017 out of the University of Massachusetts.
The salary cap is projected to be $113.5 million in 2027-28 when Makar's new deal begins. He will take up roughly 18% of the room for a team with a Cup-ready roster. Left wing Artturi Lehkonen is set to be a free agent after this season, along with center Nicolas Roy and goaltender Scott Wedgewood.
Makar was banged up heading into a Western Conference Final where the Presidents’ Trophy-winning Avalanche were swept by the Vegas Golden Knights. An upper-body injury sidelined him for Games 1 and 2, but he returned for the final two contests. Sakic recently said that Makar is slated to be ready for training camp.
It’s been a busy offseason for Sakic, who’s stepping back into the role of GM after Chris MacFarland left to lead the front office in Nashville. Among the deals orchestrated by Sakic was sending Valeri Nichushkin to the Blue Jackets for draft picks. It was a way to free up space to negotiate the extension for Makar.
“Cale is a generational defenseman and his accomplishments speak for themselves,” Sakic said in a statement. "He is obviously a tremendous competitor and player but even more so a great person, teammate and ambassador for the Avalanche and the Rocky Mountain region. We are beyond thrilled to get this deal done and have Cale in an Avalanche sweater for the next decade.”
A native of Calgary, Alberta, Makar has turned in four 20-goal seasons in his career, one of just 12 defensemen in league history to post at least that many campaigns. He also notched his 500th NHL point on March 28 in his 467th career game. He’s the fourth-fastest defenseman to reach that milestone, behind only Hall of Famers Bobby Orr (396 games), Paul Coffey (422) and Denis Potvin (465).
The core of Makar, Nathan MacKinnon and captain Gabriel Landeskog helped Colorado to a Stanley Cup title in 2022. Makar had eight goals and 21 assists during the championship run to capture the Conn Smythe Trophy as the MVP of the playoffs.
Makar's younger brother, Taylor, recently signed a two-year contract with the Avalanche that runs through the 2027-28 season. Taylor Makar made his NHL debut on Nov. 1 in San Jose, as the brothers became the first siblings to appear in the same contest while playing for the Avalanche. The Stastny brothers — Anton, Peter and Marian — accomplished the feat when the team was the Quebec Nordiques.
“Colorado has truly become a second home to us, and we are so grateful to be here,” Cale Makar said. "I look forward to getting back on the ice with my teammates and continuing to work toward our goal of bringing the Stanley Cup back to the Mile High City.”
AP Hockey Writers Stephen Whyno and John Wawrow contributed to this report.
AP NHL: https://apnews.com/NHL
FILE - Colorado Avalanche's Cale Makar (8) skates during the second period of an NHL hockey game against the Pittsburgh Penguins in Pittsburgh, March 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar, File)
FILE - Colorado Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar, center, celebrates his goal with teammates during the first period of an NHL hockey game against the Anaheim Ducks, March 3, 2026, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull, File)
FILE - Colorado Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar skates with the puck during the second period of an NHL hockey game against the Dallas Stars, March 6, 2026, in Dallas. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez, File)
