Braves pitcher Hurston Waldrep’s elbow surgery successful
NORTH PORT, Fla. — Braves pitcher Hurston Waldrep’s surgery to remove loose bodies in his right elbow was successful, manager Walt Weiss told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
The 24-year-old right-hander, whose birthday was Sunday, most likely is a candidate for the 60-day injured list, Weiss said.
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“Had the procedure, everything went as expected, had the loose bodies removed,” Weiss said Saturday.
Waldrep’s injury was diagnosed after he threw a live batting practice session early in spring training and later developed soreness in his pitching elbow. The surgery took place last week.
Waldrep was an outside candidate to earn a spot in the starting rotation after a strong showing as a rookie last year, registering a 2.88 ERA in 10 appearances, nine of them starts.
When he goes on the 60-day injury list, he will join starting pitcher Spencer Schwellenbach, who had surgery to remove bone spurs from his pitching elbow.
Schwellenbach, whose brilliant 2025 season was truncated by a season-ending elbow fracture in June, sustained the injury in a pre-spring throwing session.
The team does not have a timeline for either’s return. Based on examples of past pitchers suffering their injuries, absences of three to four months are possible.
“There’s a whole process that has to take place, especially with a starting pitcher,” Weiss said.
About the Author
Ken Sugiura is a sports columnist at the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Formerly the Georgia Tech beat reporter, Sugiura started at the AJC in 1998 and has covered a variety of beats, mostly within sports.
