Grant McAuley reports that the Braves are not counting on Spencer Schwellenbach (elbow) to begin the season in the rotation.

McAuley reports that the Braves have not ruled out the possibility that Schwellenbach pitches for them, but he also made it clear that the 26-year-old’s long-term future is very much in doubt. After battling through elbow pain throughout 2026 while rehabbing from 2025’s surgery, Schwellenbach was finally forced to have surgery to put a screw into his previously fractured elbow. As McAuley notes, “This is a procedure that very few pitchers have returned from. That places even longer odds that Schwellenbach can resume his promising career.”