Phillies

Even the Tanking NBA Teams are Impressed by the Braves’ Injury List

By Kevin Kinkead

Published: Mar 23rd, 2026 · 12:59 PM EDT

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As the Phillies prepare for opening day on Thursday, we check in on a National League East rival:

The Braves have now lost:

– Ha-Seong Kim until May
– Sean Murphy until May
– Joey Wentz all year
– Hurston Waldrep until mid-season
– Spencer Schwellenbach until mid-season
– Spencer Strider for at least a few weeks

All before the season has even started. Just brutal pic.twitter.com/tBOPoU6jZF

— AT (@BaseballWRLD_) March 23, 2026

They’ve also lost Jurickson Profar to a full-season PED suspension, so there’s that.

Kim has a torn tendon in his right middle finger. Murphy is coming off surgery for a right hip labral tear. Wentz tore his ACL a few weeks ago after a collision at first base and Waldrep is dealing with right elbow inflammation that required a February procedure. Schwellenbach had similar issues, also in his throwing elbow. And then Strider has an oblique strain and won’t be healthy for the season opener.

The rotation is gonna look something like Chris Sale, Reynaldo Lopez, Grant Holmes, and Bryce Elder without Strider. Drake Baldwin steps in to catch, and Mauricio Dubon plays short. They do have a healthy Ronald Acuna Jr. and Matt Olson, but right now it’s looking iffy down there in Cobb County. Sources say the Indiana Pacers and Philadelphia 76ers are super impressed with the length of the Braves’ injury report.

FWIW, the books have the Braves third in line to win the division at a +225 ballpark figure. The Mets and Phils are out in front at +150 and +180, respectively. The Atlanta win total is sitting around 87.5.

The Phils do play the Braves twice in the second half of April, first at home and then on the road. Both are three-game sets.