Braves prospect Spencer Schwellenbach strikes out 5 in mixed MLB debut

ATLANTA (AP) — Spencer Schwellenbach had mixed results in his big league debut with the Atlanta Braves.

Schwellenbach, one of the Braves’ top prospects, made the jump from Double-A to MLB on Wednesday night and lasted five innings. The 23-year-old right-hander allowed three runs and threw 88 pitches, 60 of them for strikes, and allowed five hits with five strikeouts and one walk. He left the game with the Braves leading Washington 3-1. The Nationals won the game 7-2.

“I thought his stuff was really good,” Braves manager Brian Snitker said. “He behaved very well,” I thought. It was very impressive, I thought.

All the damage against Schwellenbach came on a three-run homer by Lane Thomas in the fifth. With one out and runners on first and second, Thomas lifted a ball 385 feet into the Nationals bullpen in left field.

After a double in the fifth period, Schwellenbach hit the Nationals’ Jacob Young in the head with a fastball when the No. 9 hitter ran into a bunt. Young fell face down at home plate and Schwellenbach immediately put both hands on his head and walked toward home plate.

“It was definitely scary,” Schwellenbach said. “Obviously, very happy that he stayed in the game and everything was going well with him. They came out and talked to me, it kind of settled me and it definitely helped me. I was able to get back out there and continue.

Young was down for a minute, but stayed in the match.

“It’s obviously not his fault. This is obviously not intentional,” Young said. Fortunately, it wasn’t bad.

Two batters later, Thomas hit his home run.

Schwellenbach got away with it in the second round. Luis García Jr. led off with a single and advanced to third after an error by right fielder Adam Duvall. He struck out Kelbert Ruiz and Eddie Roasrio and, after a walk, struck out Eddie Rosario to end the threat. He also stranded a runner at third base in the fourth inning, prompting a lineout to shortstop Orlando Arcia by Ildemaro Vargas.

“Those are the kinds of things you envision with young guys when they come in,” Snitker said. “(Spencer) Strider was the same. He just had an innate ability to keep everything in perspective and not let the game speed up. I thought he did a really good job.”

Schwellenbach was a second-round pick of the Braves in 2021 out of Nebraska, where he pitched and was a position player. In the Braves minor league system, he was used strictly as a pitcher. He underwent Tommy John surgery in 2021 and missed the 2022 season.

Before Wednesday, Schwellenbach had only pitched twice in Double-A – and never in Triple-A. He became the first Braves starter to skip Triple-A since Randall Delgado in 2021. In eight games with High-A Rome and Double-A Mississippi, Schwellenbach was 4-1 with a 1.80 ERA, with 51 strikeouts in 45 innings.

“We’re going to continue to do everything we can to mix and match things,” Snitker said Tuesday. “Guys are going to have opportunities. They get them a lot faster now than before, that’s for sure.

The top four spots in the Braves’ rotation go to Chris Sale, Reynaldo López, Max Fried and Charlie Morton, but the fifth spot appears to be up for grabs.

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