The Tampa Bay Rays’ 9-8 victory over the Atlanta Braves comes against a rotation that is already missing major starters. Spencer Schwellenbach and Hurston Waldrep both underwent surgery to remove bone spurs from their elbows. They will start the season on the 60-day IL. Amid the Braves already lacking rotational depth, their 28-year-old pitcher experienced a scary incident that nearly cut his season short.
The Braves faced another potential setback during their Spring Training game against the Tampa Bay Rays. Their left-handed pitcher, Joey Wentz, had to be carted off the field on Sunday with a right leg injury after trying to protect first base.
MLB.com’s Mark Bowman reported on Wentz’s injury and said that he will be monitored closely for now.
Bowman wrote on X, “Joey Wentz injured his right leg while covering first base. He was carted off the field, but he walked into the clubhouse under his own power. Initial diagnosis is promising. He’s day-to-day for now.”
Joey Wentz injured his right leg while covering first base. He was carted off the field, but he walked in the clubhouse under his own power. Initial diagnosis is promising. He’s day-to-day for now.
— Mark Bowman (@mlbbowman) March 8, 2026
Latest reports suggest that, though Wentz was carted off the field, he did not sustain any major injury and was back on his own feet inside the clubhouse. But a more detailed update is awaited.
In the Spring Training, Wentz has pitched 5 2/3 innings till now, allowing 3 hits, 2 runs, and 2 earned runs while logging a 3.18 ERA. Considering Wentz has avoided any major injuries, he has a chance to be a part of the rotation and a long reliever for the Atlanta Braves.
For the record, he has made 13 starts in 14 games for the Braves in 2025. He pitched 64 innings with a 4.92 ERA and 64 strikeouts.
Meanwhile, for manager Walt Weiss, Wentz’s injury is not the only thing concerning him at the moment.
Atlanta Braves suffer Jurickson Profar blow
The suspension of left fielder Jurickson Profar came as a surprise to the Braves’ camp.
Profar has been suspended for the full season on the accusation of using performance-enhancing drugs. Weiss told The Athletic that the team was shocked and disappointed to learn about the situation. They were mostly in disbelief. Weiss gave the Braves’ players one day to get out of the shock completely and move forward.
The manager held a team meeting the following day to address the situation.
Weiss told The Athletic, “So I used what happened in ’21 as the example. I said we wouldn’t have chosen this news about Profar. Nobody in this room is choosing that, but we don’t know what it’s going to lead to, just like in ’21, we didn’t know what that would lead to. Losing Acuña was the worst news you could get. We were already having a bad season, and then we lost our best player? Who draws that up?”
“So I reminded them of that, and I told them that there are one or two or three guys in this room that are going to shine because of this. They’re going to do something that might have been unexpected, and they’re going to help us. So it was a good message,” he added.
Weiss was the bench coach in 2021 when Ronald Acuña’s knee injury in July ended the season for him. But that didn’t mean that the Braves failed that season. On the contrary, they improved so much that the Braves won the World Series that year.
Weiss certainly wants his team to make a similar comeback this season as they did in 2021, especially after losing some key pieces before Opening Day.