Well, this has been a turn of events in terms of reports out of Atlanta Braves spring camp. On Sunday, the Braves got an injury scare when Joey Wentz went to cover first base on a grounder and landed awkwardly on the base, which led to him being carted off the field. However, following the game, initial reports indicated that Wentz was carted off “precautionary”.
On Monday, Mark Bowman of MLB.com announced that Joey Wentz will miss the 2026 season due to a torn ACL, after further tests determined there is a ligament tear in his right leg. Yet another injury to a Braves starter before the 2026 season has even begun. Wentz spent his 2025 season with the Braves, Twins, and Pirates.
More MLB on Heavy: Bravesâ $30 Million All-Star Starter Named âX-Factorâ for 2026
Braves’ Starters Can Not Catch a Break
GettyATLANTA, GEORGIA – SEPTEMBER 26: Joey Wentz #33 of the Atlanta Braves pitches against the Pittsburgh Pirates in the first inning at Truist Park on September 26, 2025 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Brett Davis/Getty Images)
The Atlanta Braves’ starting rotation can not catch a break, and the 2026 regular season has not even begun. Losing Joey Wentz for the season hurts the team’s depth in the rotation, but the elbow injuries to both Spencer Schwellenbach and Hurston Waldrep now loom larger over the Wentz injury.
There was a chance that southpaw Joey Wentz could beat out Bryce Elder for the last rotation spot out of spring camp, but now, if the Braves don’t make any other pitcher signings, Elder will likely get a handful of starts.
Wentz has spent four seasons in Major League Baseball, and the Braves are his 4th organization.
While with the Braves in 2025, he pitched to a 4.92 ERA over 13 starts and 64 innings. Over 98 innings in 2025, Wentz boasted a season 6.12 ERA.
More MLB on Heavy: Dodgers-Tigers Trade Pitch for Tarik Skubal Makes Perfect Sense After WBC Start
What’s Next for the Atlanta Braves?
The Braves now have more pitching depth issues than they had last week. Will the Braves roll with Bryce Elder as their fifth starter? Do they give top prospect JR Ritchie a quicker chance now to pitch meaningful innings?
Will the Braves go out and add one of the few remaining starters in free agency?
A lot remains unknown, but due to the fact that Joey Wentz hasn’t been with the Braves, and didn’t come up in their organization, his time with the team will likely come to an end after this devastating injury.
Over 303.2 career innings, Joey Wentz has an ERA of 5.57 with 290 strikeouts.
More MLB on Heavy: Braves News: Joey Wentz Carted Off Field in Spring Training Game
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post Braves News: Joey Wentz to Miss 2026 Season with Torn ACL appeared first on Heavy Sports.