The Braves are calling up pitching prospect Spencer Schwellenbach for his major league debut, Robert Murray of FanSided reports. He’ll make his big league debut in a start tomorrow. Atlanta will need to formally select the contract of Schwellenbach, who’s not yet on the 40-man roster. The Braves already have one open 40-man spot and could easily clear another if any other moves are in the works, as they’ve not yet placed Ronald Acuna Jr. on the 60-day injured list in the wake of his season-ending knee injury.
It’s a nice early birthday present for Schwellenbach, who’ll turn 24 on Friday. Selected out of Nebraska with the 59th overall pick in the 2021 draft, the former Cornhusker entered the 2024 season ranked fifth among Braves prospects at Baseball America, third at MLB.com, and as high as second according to The Athletic’s Keith Law. The former two-way star was a shortstop and closer in his college days, though the Braves have moved him to pitching full-time and settled him into a starting role. Scouting reports praise Schwellenbach for a heater he can run up to 98 mph, a pair of average-or-better breaking balls and a solid changeup.
Schwellenbach hasn’t done anything to ding his stock thus far in 2024. If anything, he’s only enhanced his standing both within the organization and throughout the game as a whole. The 6’1″, 200-pound righty has started eight games between High-A and Double-A, pitching to a combined 1.80 ERA with a 29.1% strikeout rate, 5.7% walk rate and terrific 57.5% ground-ball rate. It should be noted that six of those starts came in High-A, where Schwellenbach was old for the level and often facing younger, less-experienced competition, but it’s an impressive showing all the same.
Part of the reason behind the Braves’ decision to open Schwellenbach at High-A is their approach to his rehab from 2021 Tommy John surgery. The right-hander went under the knife not long after being drafted and missed the entire 2022 season as a result. He pitched 65 innings between Low-A and High-A last season in his return to the mound, and the Braves at least began the season with a cautious assignment before injuries throughout the pitching staff prompted what’s now a quite-aggressive promotion to the big leagues.
Atlanta is without Spencer Strider for the remainder of the season due to his own elbow surgery, and fellow prospect AJ Smith-Shawver just hit the injured list with a Grade 2 oblique strain. Righty Ian Anderson, recovering from 2023 Tommy John surgery, has yet to resume pitching. Huascar Ynoa is dealing with elbow soreness and on the minor league injured list the moment.
The Braves have other options on the 40-man roster, but none who were lined up with this spot in the rotation. Bryce Elder would’ve been going on three days’ rest, while Dylan Dodd would only be on two days’ rest. Darius Vines would perhaps have been a candidate had he not just been optioned to Triple-A four days ago (thus rendering him ineligible to be recalled for another 11 days, unless he’s directly replacing an injured player).
Schwellenbach pitched seven shutout innings against the Reds’ Double-A affiliate on May 22, so he’ll be on full rest for tomorrow’s MLB debut. And since the Braves would’ve needed to add him to the 40-man roster in the offseason anyhow — he’d otherwise have been eligible for selection in the Rule 5 Draft — they’ll take the opportunity to get a first look at the promising young righty against big league opposition. In all likelihood, it’ll be a spot start, but now that he’s on the 40-man roster at a time when the Braves are seeing their starting depth tested, he’ll have the opportunity to potentially work his way into a more prominent role over the course of the season.
