ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) — Atlanta Braves right-hander Hurston Waldrep has joined the Double-A Columbus Clingstones for a rehab assignment, the team announced Tuesday.
The 24-year-old has missed all of 2026 so far after undergoing elbow surgery in spring training. He experienced right elbow discomfort after throwing a live batting practice session and an MRI discovered “loose bodies,” although his ligament was intact.
Waldrep’s anticipated major-league return will be a boost to a Braves pitching staff that has exceeded all expectations. In the absence of Waldrep and fellow starter Spencer Schwellenbach, pitchers Bryce Elder and Martín Pérez have held down the back end of the Braves’ rotation.
Elder in particular is showing the kind of ace-level upside that made him an All-Star in 2023. The 27-year-old is 5-3 with a 2.66 ERA, 150 ERA+ and 3.48 FIP. Pérez, 35, is outperforming expectations to an even greater degree, with a 3.02 ERA and a 3.99 FIP in 56.2 innings.
Waldrep went 6-1 with a 2.88 ERA in 10 appearances for the Braves in 2025 and threw two starts in the Florida Complex League earlier this month. He is set to pitch Thursday against the Pensacola Blue Wahoos.
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Drake Baldwin update
Braves manager Walt Weiss said before Tuesday’s game against the White Sox in Chicago that catcher Drake Baldwin remains at the club’s complex in Florida as he continues his recovery.
Weiss added that Baldwin is slated to face live pitching Thursday and Friday. Barring any setbacks, the catcher is expected to begin a rehab assignment with Triple-A Gwinnett this weekend, with appearances scheduled for Saturday and Sunday.
Baldwin strained an oblique during Atlanta’s 12-0 loss to the Miami Marlins on May 18.
The 25-year-old has been one of the Braves’ most productive hitters this season, posting a .931 OPS with 13 home runs and 38 RBIs in 48 games. He has consistently been a threat at the plate for Atlanta, which enters a three-game series against the White Sox with a comfortable lead in the National League East before playing the New York Mets for another three-game set beginning Friday.
In Baldwin’s absence, Braves catchers Sandy León, Chadwick Tromp and Austin Wynns have combined to go 6-for-57 with three RBIs. All three RBIs were recorded by Tromp, who was designated for assignment on June 4.
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