The Atlanta Braves injury report has taken some big hits at the start of the 2024 MLB season. Two of the latest additions are outfielder Ronald Acuna Jr. and starting pitcher AJ Smith-Shawver. As a result, Atlanta has made a decisive move on elite pitching prospect Spencer Schwellenbach to aid their defensive voids.

Atlanta has called Spencer Schwellenbach up to the Major League, per MLB Insider Robert Murray. The former Nebraska Cornhusker is rated as the Braves' No. 3 prospect, according to MLB Pipeline. Scwhellenbach bided his time with the Double-A Affiliate Mississippi Braves and looks to provide much-needed depth and relief to Atlanta's pitching lineup.

The Braves selected Spencer Schwellenbach with the 59th overall pick in the second round of the 2021 MLB Draft. The 23-year-old right-hander has had a solid Minor League showing while working towards a spot with Atlanta. Schwellenbach holds a career MiLB record of 9-3 with a 2.21 ERA and a .95 WHIP. It will be interesting to see how he supports the Braves amid their deep injury report developments.

21-year-old right-hander AJ Smith-Shawver was diagnosed with a Grade 2 left oblique strain on May 24th. Atlanta placed Smith-Shawver on the 15-day Injured List while he recovers. Thankfully, the Braves still retain the services of star veteran pitcher Chris Sale.

Sale has been impressive during his first 10 games with Atlanta. The 35-year-old boasts an 8-1 record and a 0.85 WHIP, both of which rank second in the league. In addition, Sale holds an ERA of 2.12 and has thrown 78 strikeouts. He looks to continue to perform strongly while Atlanta's injured bullpen members recover.

Pitchers are not the only ones the Braves need to return healthy.

Braves look to hold things despite after untimely Ronald Acuna Jr. injury

Ronald Acuna Jr. has been one of Atlanta's brightest offensive pieces. However, the 26-year-old suffered an ACL tear in his left knee, which will cause him to miss the rest of the 2024 season. Acuna entered the season red-hot. In 2023, he batted a .337 average, hit 41 home runs, was responsible for 106 RBI, and held an OPS of 1.012 through 159 games.

It was unfortunate to see Acuna's season cut short after his career year, but Atlanta will get the chance to show their depth. ClutchPoints' Shane Shoemaker outlined why the Braves remain championship contenders despite Acuna's injury.

First, 2024 is not the first time Acuna has suffered a devastating injury. In 2021, he went down with his first major ACL ailment. Many fans and analysts thought Atlanta's hopes were over. Yet, the Braves won the NL East for their fourth consecutive time on just 88 wins. Even greater, they won the World Series on a dominant postseason run. Atlanta has faced periods without Acuna before and can overcome their woes again.

Secondly, the Braves still retain plenty of offensive talent, headlined by Marcell Ozuna. The veteran designated hitter boasts top-five MLB rankings in home runs, RBI, and OPS through 51 games. With Ozuna and the rest of Atlanta's offensive contributors at the helm, the team can surely stay afloat.

All in all, it will be interesting to see how Atlanta fares amid challenging times. They have it what takes to endure and come out on top.