Yesterday, Grant McAuley of Atlanta’s 92.9 the Game, From The Diamond and Battery Power, spoke with injured Atlanta Braves starting pitcher Spencer Schwellenbach about his rehabilitation progression.
Schwellenbach told McAuley that he has starting throwing from 60 feet on flat ground every other day – a process that began six days ago. That will be a two week process before he repeats that routine with the distance moved to 75 feet. If that goes well, Schwellenbach is hopeful he can begin throwing off
the mound.
Although Schwellenbach says he feels good and is encouraged by the success of his early sessions, a multi-step process of mound work would be needed before he could go on a rehab assignment. Braves manager Walt Weiss told McAuley that there still isn’t a timeline for Schwellenbach’s return to big league action.
Based on the timeline Schwellenbach relayed to McAuley, and the time he’d need to build-up his strength while on a rehab assignment a speculative return could be August or September, assuming no set-backs during his rehabilitation work.
Progress is good news but there’s no guarantee that Schwellenbach will be able to return this season after having bone spurs removed from his pitching elbow in mid-February 2026.
McAuley also provided an update on pitcher AJ Smith-Shawver, who is aiming to return this summer after “Tommy John” surgery last season.
