NORTH PORT, Fla. — 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. “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 [it] probably needs to be dealt with.”
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A possible surgery leaves the Braves facing the loss of a second starting pitcher in five days. Right-hander Spencer Schwellenbach, who was expected to be one of Atlanta’s top starters, landed on the 60-day injured list on Tuesday because of inflammation in his right 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.
“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.”
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 Lopez, Grant Holmes, Joey Wentz, Bryce Elder and Martín Pérez.
