Braves hit with another brutal pitcher injury right after Chris Sale

The Atlanta Braves’ lineup has been the major point of on-field inconsistency this season. But now, their starting rotation will need to show that they can survive another injury.

Braves starting pitcher Spencer Schwellenbach has suffered a fractured right elbow and has been placed on the 15-day injured list, according to MLB.com’s Mark Bowman.

“Schwellenbach felt sore on Sunday, one day after he notched a career-high 12 strikeouts over seven strong innings against the Phillies,” Bowman reported. “Examinations showed a small fracture. He will not throw over the next four weeks, but there is hope he could begin pitching again in September.”

Through 17 starts and 110.2 innings this season, Schwellenbach has earned a 3.09 ERA. The 25-year-old ranks in the 98th percentile in Fastball Run Value and the 92nd percentile in Offspeed Run Value.

He was in the midst of an All-Star-esque season despite his team’s general struggles.

Atlanta’s rotation has dealt with injuries to both AJ Smith-Shawver, who underwent Tommy John surgery last month, and Chris Sale, who will not return until late August due to a fractured rib.

Even still, the Braves’ rotation ranks 13th in ERA. While this is not a pristine mark, it is also a testament to the job that Schwellenbach and others have done to keep the club in games while the lineup has scuffled through the first half of the season.

The Braves are currently fourth in the National League East. The New York Mets and Philadelphia Phillies have shown real promise at different points this season. Meanwhile, Atlanta is currently 7.5 games back in the NL Wild Card race.

The team added Jurickson Profar back into the fold Wednesday after the 32-year-old served an 80-game PED suspension, but it may take more than the Willemstad native to jumpstart their offense.

While it is not yet known if the Braves will buy or sell prior to this season’s MLB trade deadline, this latest injury will put more stress on a rotation that has survived a decent amount of turbulence already.