ATLANTA -- Just when it seemed like things couldn’t get worse, the Braves revealed Spencer Schwellenbach will become the fourth member of their starting rotation who will miss at least two months this year.
Schwellenbach was placed on the 15-day injured list with a fractured right elbow on Wednesday (retroactive to Sunday). The All-Star candidate felt discomfort while notching a career-high 12 strikeouts against the Phillies on Saturday. Imaging performed on Monday showed a small fracture.
“[Doctors] just used the term 'freak accident,'” Schwellenbach said. “Honestly, from the bump in velo I’ve had in the last month, maybe my elbow just wasn’t ready for it. Who knows? It could have been anything.”
Schwellenbach’s assessment comes just a month after teammate AJ Smith-Shawver experienced an increase in velocity just before tearing his right ulnar collateral ligament.
Schwellenbach caught everyone’s attention against the Red Sox on May 31, when he threw 13 pitches that registered 99 mph or higher. He hadn’t touched 99 mph in any of his previous 33 starts.
His four-seamer averaged 97.6 mph over six starts going back to that Boston outing. That pitch had averaged 96.5 mph during those previous 33 starts.
“I hate it for him,” Braves manager Brian Snitker said. “The way he was going and the consistency that he’s shown and what he was doing for this team, he’ll be fine. He just keeps getting better.”
Schwellenbach won’t throw over the next four weeks. There’s some hope he could resume pitching in September. But given the current state of their rotation, it’s hard to envision the Braves entering the season’s final weeks in playoff contention.
“It’s hard for any organization to handle [losing four starters],” Snitker said. “Every day, it seems like it’s something else.”
Reynaldo López made just one start before undergoing arthroscopic right shoulder surgery. Smith-Shawver underwent Tommy John surgery on his right elbow last month. Chris Sale will be out until late August with a fractured left rib. And now Schwellenbach’s All-Star bid has abruptly ended.
Didier Fuentes is a 20-year-old hurler who made just six starts above the Class A level before making his MLB debut on June 20. He has allowed 10 earned runs through his first 8 1/3 innings. But by default, he currently stands as Atlanta’s No. 4 starter, sitting behind Spencer Strider, Grant Holmes and Bryce Elder.
The Braves could look to Hurston Waldrep or Nathan Wiles to fill Schwellenbach’s rotation spot. Waldrep is the team’s No. 2 prospect, but his 12.8 percent walk rate in Triple-A is a concern.
“When Sale went down, we knew as a staff, we had to pick up the slack,” Schwellenbach said. “Now, this happens and I feel horrible. I set a goal for myself to be healthy and throw a bunch of innings.”
This truly happened out of the blue. Schwellenbach pitched through what he described as “subtle pain” while limiting the Phillies to one run over seven innings on Saturday. He pitched with a torn ulnar collateral ligament while at the University of Nebraska. He was confident this wasn’t a ligament issue. But he also didn’t think he’d learn Saturday’s discomfort was a product of an elbow fracture.
“When I went in the trainer’s room, it was like, ‘This is really tight,’” Schwellenbach said. “Then, when I woke up the next day, it was like, 'Whoa, this is a little bit more than just tenderness.' So, I came in, we talked about it and decided to get some imaging.”
Schwellenbach constructed a strong All-Star resume. He briefly owned the MLB lead in innings pitched (110 2/3) after last weekend’s start. He ranks 12th among NL pitchers with a 3.09 ERA and third with a 0.97 WHIP, trailing only Zack Wheeler (0.91) and Paul Skenes (0.92). Over his last 10 starts, the 25-year-old hurler has lasted at least seven innings seven times while producing a 2.60 ERA.
“The [coach and player balloting] was in before this came out,” Snitker said. “I know everybody that faced him, I can guarantee he was on their ballot.”