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Braves’ Hurston Waldrep dealing with elbow discomfort, could miss time

By Aaron Schmidt

ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) - The Atlanta Braves are already set to be without right-hander Spencer Schwellenbach (elbow), catcher Sean Murphy (hip) and shortstop Ha-Seong Kim (hand) on Opening Day, and that list could soon grow. Manager Walt Weiss told reporters Sunday that right-hander Hurston Waldrep experienced right elbow discomfort following a recent live batting practice session and will see a doctor.

Weiss said that Waldrep underwent an MRI that revealed “loose bodies,” though his ligament appears to be intact. Waldrep will see Dr. Keith Meister this week, as the team remains uncertain about the full extent of the injury. Meister is a highly regarded surgeon who recently performed UCL elbow procedures on both Spencer Strider and AJ Smith-Shawver.

“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. I don’t know what that looks like as far as procedure or anything, but I guess Dr. Meister will let us know.”

Waldrep showed promise during his stint in the majors last season, posting a 2.88 ERA over 56.1 innings with 55 strikeouts. He impressed many — including Chris Sale — during the live batting practice session he completed Thursday, the same session in which he injured his elbow.

“He’s a young kid with a promising future,” Weiss said. “The other day, he opened up some eyes popping 99 (mph) right out of the gate.”

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With Schwellenbach sidelined — and now possibly Waldrep — the need for another starting pitcher has become increasingly urgent. At the moment, the rotation lines up as Sale, Strider, Reynaldo López and Grant Holmes. The fifth starter will be determined through competition this spring, according to general manager and president of baseball operations Alex Anthopoulos.

If Waldrep does indeed miss significant time, Bryce Elder is the likely frontrunner to earn the fifth rotation spot if the team does not add anyone else. However, if one of the five projected starters were to get injured —there are injury risks surrounding both Holmes and López — who would step up? The depth Anthopoulos touted during the opening days of camp has already begun to thin.

Right-handers Lucas Giolito and Zack Littell are among the top remaining free-agent starting pitchers. If the team signs either — or someone else — that pitcher would likely slot into the fifth spot, potentially pushing Elder to the bullpen or forcing the club to risk losing him on waivers, as he is out of minor-league options.

The Braves begin exhibition play on Saturday.

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