Former Nebraska Pitcher Spencer Schwellenbach Placed on Atlanta Braves Injured Reserve Until September
A former Nebraska baseball pitcher will be shut down until September in the Major Leagues.
Spencer Schwellenbach, a pitcher for the MLB’s Atlanta Braves and former Husker baseball star, was placed on injured reserve Wednesday after fracturing his right elbow. The injury was found during Schwellenbach’s career-high 12 strikeout performance against the Philadelphia Phillies on Saturday. In seven innings, Schwellenbach gave up just one run on three hits with only one walk allowed.
The contest was the tenth consecutive outing Schwellenbach had pitched at least six frames as part of the Braves’ starting rotation. The pitcher reported to the team he felt “sore” on Sunday, then underwent imaging on his elbow on Monday. The Nebraska alum told media Wednesday he suffered a “coronoid fracture”, or elbow instability or a dislocation of the joint.
Fractured Elbow Sidelines Schwellenbach
“[Doctors] just used the term ‘freak accident,’” Schwellenbach said. “Honestly, from the bump in velo I’ve had in the last month, maybe my elbow just wasn’t ready for it. Who knows? It could have been anything.”
The injury placed Schwellenbach on the 15-day injured list, as Mark Bowman of MLB.com reported that the Braves’ pitcher will be shut down for four weeks but could return to the team in September.
Impressive MLB Season Cut Short
Schwellenbach has been on an All-Star run this season, after debuting in 2024 with 21 starts, posting a 3.35 ERA in 123.2 innings. The Braves stuck with Schwellenbach this summer, and the pitcher rewarded Atlanta with a 3.09 ERA in 17 starts. Despite his consistency, Atlanta is 38-46 on the season, putting the Braves seven games back from a playoff spot. Schwellenbach’s injury adds to the Braves’ misfortune, as 2024 NL Cy Young winner Chris Sale was shut down earlier this season with a rib injury.
Schwellenbach’s Stellar Nebraska Career
Early Days as a Husker Infielder
Schwellenbach played three seasons for Nebraska baseball from 2019-21, starting all 44 games his freshman season and adding 15 starts his sophomore campaign prior to the shutdown of the 2020 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Michigan native was a star infielder for the Huskers, starting 31 games at shortstop, six at third base, and six at first base in his first season in Lincoln.
The MLB pitcher finished his first season at Nebraska batting .275, slugging .400 and had an on-base percentage of .415 – the second best on the team. The Huskers finished the 2019 season 32-27 overall with a 15-9 Big Ten record, wrapping up as the runner-up in the Big Ten Conference Tournament while advancing to the Oklahoma City regional.
Transition to Pitcher and Collegiate Accolades
Following the shortened 2020 campaign, Schwellenbach was added as a relief pitcher for the 2021 season before going on to be named as the Big Ten Player of the Year and earning second team All-America by the Collegiate Baseball Newspaper. The junior was named a semifinalist for the Golden Spikes Award while pushing the Cornhuskers to the brink of a College World Series berth, nearly toppling Arkansas in the Fayetteville Regional with a game-tying run in the 5-3 win over the Razorbacks to force a winner-take-all contest in the Regional Final.
Schwellenbach finished his final season in Lincoln hitting .284 with a .403 on-base percentage, including six home runs and 40 RBIs. The newly minted relief pitcher posted a 3-1 record with 10 saves and a 0.57 ERA over 18 appearances. Schwellenbach was selected by the Braves in the second round of the 2021 Major League Baseball draft, missing the 2022 season due to Tommy John surgery but making his MLB debut on May 30, 2024.
