Spencer Schwellenbach is expected to miss significant time because of inflammation in his pitching elbow, the latest injury setback for the Atlanta Braves right-hander.
The Braves placed Schwellenbach on the 60-day injured list Tuesday amid the organization's first spring training workout for pitchers and catchers.
Braves first-year manager Walt Weiss said the team thinks Schwellenbach avoided a serious injury to his UCL. Weiss added that the Braves hope bone spurs are the cause of the inflammation in the same elbow that sidelined Schwellenbach for the final three months of last season.
"I feel for Spencer more than anything else," Weiss told reporters. "The kid has done some amazing things in a short time, and still has a bright future ahead of him. But I'm sure it's tough for him."
Weiss did not disclose a specific timeline for Schwellenbach's return to the rotation.
"We gotta check all the boxes and all that type of thing," Weiss said. "But it's going to be significant time that he's going to miss."
The Braves were beset by long-term injuries to multiple starting pitchers last season, including Schwellenbach. Chris Sale, Reynaldo Lopez, Grant Holmes and AJ Smith-Shawver also missed significant time with injuries last season.
"I always say before a season even starts, your pitching depth is going to get tested," Weiss said. "It's inevitable. You'd rather not have it be right away in February, but we've got a lot of capable guys in there. They're going to get a look, and that's exciting."
Schwellenbach, 25, went 7-4 with a 3.09 ERA in 17 starts last season before being sidelined with a fractured pitching elbow.
