The Braves Nearly Made It to Lunch on Day 1 of Spring Training Before Adding Spencer Schwellenbach to the 60-Day Injured List

I woke up this morning with a renewed sense of purpose. We're back. Camps are opening throughout Major League Baseball. What a time to be alive.

That lasted about four hours.

You couldn't make it up. After not adding a starting pitcher this winter, the Braves will begin the season with Spencer Schwellenbach on the 60-day IL after losing him for the final three months last season with an elbow fracture. The rest of the candidates for the starting rotation as it currently stands are as follows:

- Nearly 37-year-old Chris Sale coming off a broken rib

- Spencer Strider coming off elbow surgery in 2024 and significantly reduced velocity last season

- 23-year-old Hurston Waldrep, who was great in 2025 but only has 11 career starts at the Major League level

- Reynaldo Lopez, who missed the entire 2025 season following shoulder surgery in April

- Grant Holmes, who had a 3.99 ERA last year pitching about as well as anyone could have hoped with some concerning underlying numbers

- Bryce Elder, whose 5.30 ERA in 2025 is somehow lower than I would have anticipated

If Alex Anthopoulos wasn't planning on adding a starting pitcher before the start of the season before today, he damn sure better be now. Zac Gallen, Chris Bassitt and Lucas Giolito are still unsigned as free agents. It seems mandatory at this point one of those guys is wearing a Braves uniform this season unless there's a team out there willing to trade a quality starter at the outset of Spring Training.

Honestly, I'm just glad this happened today rather than in six weeks. Nip any excitement or expectations right in the bud.