Atlanta Braves young pitcher to have sore elbow looked at
The Atlanta Braves have been dealing with injuries to their pitching staff already, despite Spring Training just getting underway. While there are a lot of injuries being announced this time of year, the Braves have now seen two-fifths of their potential starting rotation have an injury. Let’s take a closer look at who it is and what the severity of the injury is.
The Atlanta Braves are sending Hurston Waldrep to get his elbow examined
Just five days after beginning the 2026 Spring Training by revealing that Spencer Schwellenbach will miss a significant portion of the season, the team could be down another starting pitcher. Young pitcher Hurston Waldrep will be missing some time at the beginning of Spring Training as well to get his elbow examined.
Atlanta Braves manager Walt Weiss said that Waldrep felt his elbow was sore after throwing a live batting practice on Thursday, and he would undergo an MRI exam, which showed some loose bodies in his elbow, but no ligament damage. Waldrep will visit Dr. Keith Meister in Dallas on Monday, a noted surgeon who performed surgeries on Braves pitchers.
Weiss explained what happened that may have led to the injury, but mentioned how this could be just part of how things happen in Spring Training.
“He’s a young kid with a really promising future. The other day he opened some eyes. He was popping 99 mph right out of the gate. But he threw several [bullpen sessions] before he got down here. I think he said [he threw] seven or eight bullpens and had no issues. Sometimes it’s hard to retrace your steps and explain some of these things, but it’s all part of it.”
Waldrep was expected to be sent to Triple-A to begin the season since he had options, while other pitchers did not. However, he was expected to be called up during the season. He pitched well when called up last season as in 10 games (nine starts), he finished 6-1 with a 2.88 ERA anda 1.189 WHIP in 56.1 innings. It will be interesting to see what his timeline to get back on the mound looks like after his visit to Dallas.
