Braves Holmes Chose Rehab Over Surgery: What That Even Means

While it's clear that the Atlanta Braves righty opted not to have surgery, it doesn't hurt to break down what the alternative actually entails

So what does rehabbing in this case even mean? | Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

Grant Holmes' season is over, with no real timetable for the next time we might see him again. However, we have insight into his route to his return. According to Atlanta Braves manager Brian Snitker, the right-hander has opted for rehabbing his injury instead of having surgery. 

Snitker didn’t have an answer for whether Holmes would be back for Spring Training, but he said the decision for this recovery option was made after consulting multiple doctors. 

“They talk to two or three different doctors, and they get the information, and then, it’s up to the player what he wants to do,” Snitker said. 

Holmes is currently on the 60-day injured list with right elbow inflammation. According to The Athletic’s David O’Brien, he has a partial tear in his right UCL, his pitching elbow. Surgery is also still on the table if the rehab route doesn’t go how he’d like it to. He could opt for either Tommy John surgery, which AJ Smith-Shawver underwent, or he could get an internal brace, which Spencer Strider opted for. 

While the biggest takeaway is that he isn’t having surgery, at least for now, it’s a valid question to wonder what it means to rehab it instead. A lot of fans probably don’t even realize that that is even an option on the table. 

Rehabbing is a broad term. This is something someone does after surgery, too, so there has to be a differentiator. 

As great as it would be to provide some elaborate answer, Holmes is simply trying to heal his injury without surgery. That’s pretty much it. 

He’s not going to just sit there, rest and hope he recovers. This isn’t like when you choose to see if you can sleep something off first. There will be physical therapy and other treatments done. 

It’s not a totally unfamiliar concept. An example that immediately came to mind was when Masahiro Tanaka chose to rehab a partially torn UCL during his rookie season in 2014. He was only out for six weeks before returning to the mound. 

Clearly, Holmes does not have this mild of case, or else we would have been told there was a shot that he could back this year as opposed to the uncertainty of whether he’ll be ready for Spring Training. 

He'll likely do something similar to Tanaka, which included "a platelet-rich plasma injection, followed by an exercise regimen and throwing program," according to ESPN.

All these help the body heal while staying in shape for the sport. Maybe we'll hear something new that wasn't an option 11 years ago. That's not a guarantee, but it's possible. We've seen the alternative of the internal brace come out since then.

In theory, this should still take significantly less time than the alternative. If the rehab process pans out, we’ll see him pitch in 2026. Surgery, now or later, means next season is pretty much gone. He might we see how the quicker route works first if the other options cost him all that time anyway. 

Holmes spent 10 years in the minors before getting a chance in the majors. He then surprised everyone by becoming a mainstay in the rotation at nearly 30 years old. A year away could cost him what he’s worked hard to gain. You can’t blame him for trying.