Atlanta manager Walt Weiss said Tuesday that Elder had been dealing with discomfort in the knee since the All-Star break. Todd Kirkland / Getty Images
Sept. 8, 2026 Updated 6:27 pm EDT
ATLANTA — Ahead of a nine-day stretch against the Tampa Bay Rays, Philadelphia Phillies and Chicago Cubs, the Atlanta Braves announced that right-hander Bryce Elder underwent knee surgery Tuesday morning. Manager Walt Weiss said Elder’s recovery could take three to four weeks, and that “there’s a chance” he could return for the postseason.
Elder flew from Philadelphia to Dallas on Monday for the surgery and a scope on his right knee to remove bone fragments that were causing discomfort. The announcement comes a day after Weiss said Elder would be temporarily moved to the bullpen after experiencing pain in his right knee. Weiss said Tuesday that Elder had experienced some discomfort in the knee since the All-Star break.
Elder hasn’t been officially placed on the injured list, but that will likely happen Wednesday when right-hander Reynaldo López, who has been sidelined with left knee inflammation since Aug. 2, is activated and starts against the Rays. Through the first two months, Elder held a 2.50 ERA, which ranked 10th in MLB, with 61 strikeouts to 20 walks in 72 innings. Over his five starts in August, Elder had a 5.22 ERA in 29 1/3 innings. His last start came on Aug. 31.
“He felt like this was his best chance to maybe be a factor in the postseason, because (if he didn’t have surgery), he probably wasn’t going to,” Weiss said. “Credit to him, right? He’s really downplayed it, and it’s just the way athletes think. He downplayed it. He thought he could pitch through it, and he’s been dealing with it (for a while).”
While Elder could return for the postseason, the Braves have the starting pitching depth to survive his absence. Atlanta has been operating on a six-man rotation, and with López returning, it’ll remain that way.
“We talked about this, that there’s most likely a chance there’s going to be an injury whether it’s the rest of the season in September or even in October,” Weiss said. “We’ve seen that before with some of our pitchers. So it’s good that we have as many options as we do.”
Sep 8, 2026
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