Braves Suffer Setback: Royber Salinas Out Long-Term with Shoulder Injury
The Atlanta Braves received sobering news ahead of spring camp: promising right-hander Royber Salinas, 23, has been sidelined by a significant shoulder injury stemming from surgery last summer. The team officially confirmed that Salinas won’t pitch this season until at least August, marking a chilling blow to what was expected to be a key developmental year.
Background: A Heralded Prospect
Salinas, originally drafted by Oakland, emerged as a bright young arm in their system. He posted a 3.68 ERA over 36.2 innings across eight starts at Double-A Midland during 2024, and briefly appeared in Triple-A Las Vegas before landing on the injured list in June due to shoulder issues. The A’s eventually opted for shoulder surgery on July 24, ruling him out for the remainder of the year .
In the offseason, Atlanta claimed Salinas off waivers from Oakland on November 1, 2024. However, his recovery trajectory and service time led them to non-tender him on November 22, making him a free agent. He later re-signed on a minor league deal in late November, under the understanding he’d miss much of 2025 while rehabbing.
2025: Shoulder Still Healing
As spring training got underway, Salinas was sent to minor league camp on February 25, still recuperating from last summer’s shoulder surgery. Braves officials have confirmed that he won’t begin his professional season until at least August, implying a rehab stint comprised exclusively of minor-league starts to rebuild arm strength and prove health before any major-league consideration .
That schedule means Salinas will miss the Braves’ first half of the season—a critical period when the club typically nurtures top prospects. It also further congests Atlanta’s developmental pipeline; pitchers like Hurston Waldrep and Bryce Elder may now receive elevated opportunities due to Salinas’s absence.
Prognosis & Development Plan
Salinas’s rehab timeline and future role have been framed as follows:
- Return Target: Salinas is expected to resume throwing and begin minor league assignments in August, over a year after his shoulder operation.
- Promotion Path: He will need to excel in Triple-A upon his full return in order to earn promotion. His performance there during the late part of the season will directly inform his 2026 projections .
- Health Risk Factor: Shoulder injuries, especially in pitchers, carry serious recovery uncertainties—re-aggravation or reduced velocity are constant concerns. Thus, Atlanta is expected to exercise caution with Salinas’s innings and progression curve.
Organizational Impact
Salinas’s prolonged absence comes at a challenging time for the Braves, who are already navigating injuries within the pitching ranks. Veterans like Reynaldo López have higher-level IL stints due to their own shoulder troubles, intensifying pressure on Atlanta’s rotation depth.
The team’s development priority will likely shift to other pitching prospects:
- Bryce Elder, recently recalled in López’s stead, brings MLB experience but posted a 6.52 ERA in ten starts last year.
- Hurston Waldrep, among others, may earn mid-season or late-season looks as the organization gauges depth without Salinas.
Season Outlook: What Now?
Salinas’s absence delays the projected boost from his highly regarded arsenal—mixing above-average velocity with strikeout potential. A return in late-season 2025 could offer limited value, with full impact pushing into the 2026 season.
His health and performance in Triple-A next year will determine whether he remains a central rotation candidate or if the Braves pivot focus to alternatives. Shoulder surgery isn’t always a definitive career kill—plenty of pitchers have successfully returned—but it is a serious hurdle.
For now, the Braves continue to recalibrate, leaning on their veteran rotation, bullpen depth, and other minor-league arms. But the loss of Salinas—an ascending talent once expected to challenge for a mid-rotation role—underscores how fragile pitching health can dramatically reshape development plans.
In summary, Royber Salinas’s shoulder setback means he will miss the first half of 2025, likely return in Triple-A by August, and must prove himself to justify any promotion. That delay intensifies the Braves’ reliance on already-stretched pitching resources, making his recovery and post-surgery progress a key storyline for the organization’s future pitching core.
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