Braves Receive Brutal Injury Update on Joey Wentz

Just as soon as they may have been in the clear, the Atlanta Braves were far from it. Per multiple reports, left-hander Joey Wentz is out for the season with a torn ACL. The update came a day after he exited his latest outing with an apparent knee injury.

For a moment, it looked like he might be fine. He was walking on his power after being carted off.

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The Braves are already faced with two major injuries on the pitching staff. Spencer Schwellenbach and Hurston Waldrep have both procedures to address loose bodies in their throwing elbows. Both are on the 60-day injured list. Add another one to the list.

The only brightside, which isn't actually one, is that he can be put on the 60-day injured list, go off the 40-man and the Braves don't have to worry about his status. However, that would have been a good problem to have had.

He allowed a run on two hits during his two-thirds of an inning of work before his injury. Overall, he looked sharp, allowing two runs across 5 2/3 innings (3.18 ERA) with a .158 BAA and a 1.24 WHIP.

Wentz was originally drafted by the Braves, but didn’t debut with the team until last season. He was claimed off waivers from the Detroit Tigers and became an important arm in the rotation down the stretch. He made 14 appearances, 13 starts, pitching to a 4.92 ERA and a 1.42 WHIP.

With Bryce Elder being the most likely fifth arm in the rotation, Wentz, in turn, was likely next in line after him. However, with this injury, there are a few ways they could go. JR Ritchie could be added to the 40-man as a young arm with options. They could also go with an experienced arm, such as Martin Perez. Both have looked sharp in spring training.

It's doubtful that they roll with Carlos Carrasco before either of them. Didier Fuentes is already on the 40-man roster, but after last season, it wouldn't be wise to throw him back into the fire. Ritchie and Perez seem like the most likely options for a spot on the 40-man.

Time will tell how they go about their next move. They also still have to be ready to reinstate Ha-Seong Kim and Sean Murphy when they get back in May. There is plenty to keep in mind.

The Braves head to Dunedin on Tuesday for a bout with the Blue Jays. Ritchie is on the mound and is set to face Dylan Cease at 1:05 p.m.