There was a time when former Atlanta Braves starter Kyle Wright appeared to be locked into the top of the team's rotation. In the 2022 season, the pitcher was incredible consistently winning and putting himself among the team's elite. Wright gave every reason to believe the team had found an important piece in the rotation for years to come.
However, the results quickly soured in the 2023 season ending with the pitcher dealing with a serious shoulder injury. Atlanta shut him down for the rest of the season and the right-hander would eventually get surgery to deal with the issue.
Eventually, the Braves decided to give Wright a fresh start and dealt the rehabbing starter to the Kansas City Royals. Atlanta would get Jackson Kowar in return before flipping the pitcher for a failing outfielder. Regardless, it was a fresh start for Wright that was hoped to begin this season after spending all of last year rehabbing the injury. However, that has hit yet another bump in the road with an MRI revealing the pitcher needed to be shut down with an oblique injury requiring at least two weeks of rest. This was before Wright had even completed his comeback from the 2023 injury.
Former Braves Starter Kyle Wright Continues Recent Struggles
It has been two years of constant rehab for a player who won 21 games with the Braves only three years ago. Watching the struggles and regression is hard to stomach for a player who had shown such promise. It is easy to empathize as well when you consider the number of starting pitching injuries the Braves have suffered in the 2025 season.
Spencer Strider has missed two different portions of the season while AJ Smith-Shawver, Chris Sale, Spencer Schwellenbach, and Reynaldo Lopez have all been lost for long stretches of the season. This gives Atlanta fans the ability to understand just how frustrating rotational injuries can be. Wright's is all the more difficult when you consider just how long the veteran has spent working his way back to the Major League level.
Still, it isn't all bad news with the injury not appearing to be very serious or preventing his return later this season. Perhaps if Wright can work his way back at the end of this month there is a path to finding the player he once was. Either way, it isn't time for the Royals to give up on the starter just yet.