Braves' Spencer Strider: Not expected by Opening Day
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Atlanta president of baseball operations Alex Anthopoulos said Tuesday it's unlikely Strider (elbow) will be ready for Opening Day, Justin Toscano of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.
The revelation isn't altogether surprising, as Anthopoulos indicated last month that while Opening Day was possible for Strider, the pitcher's season debut might not come until early June. Any timeline at this point is approximate, with more clarity likely to come by spring training. Strider is working his way back from an internal brace procedure he underwent in mid-April.
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Braves' Spencer Strider: Team not setting timeline yet
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Atlanta president of baseball operations Alex Anthopoulos said Friday that the club will proceed deliberately with Strider's (elbow) rehab and are not setting a timeline for the pitcher's return yet, David O'Brien of The Athletic reports.
Strider underwent an internal brace procedure in mid-April to address UCL damage in his pitching elbow. While the internal brace operation is less invasive than Tommy John surgery (which Strider had previously), the team will still be very cautious and will avoid rushing the right-hander back too quickly. Anthopoulos indicated Friday that it's possible Strider is back by Opening Day of next season, but his return to the rotation could be pushed back as far as early June.
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Braves' Spencer Strider: Transferred to 60-day IL
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Strider (elbow) was transferred to the 60-day injured list Saturday.
Strider is already set to miss the remainder of the 2024 campaign after undergoing elbow surgery in April, so the move to the 60-day IL doesn't affect his outlook. The right-hander will still have his sights set on a return at some point early in the 2025 season; in the meantime, Saturday's transaction opened a spot on the 40-man roster for Ramon Laureano, who had his contract selected from Triple-A Gwinnett.
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Braves' Spencer Strider: Less damage than expected
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Strider suggested Friday that he could be back on a mound early next season after doctors found that his ligament was in "surprisingly good" shape during surgery, Mark Bowman of MLB.com reports.
The right-hander indicated that the internal bracing procedure he underwent last week ended up being necessary because of a loose bone fragment in his elbow that had developed over the last couple years. "That's what destabilized the ligament," Strider said. Atlanta will likely be cautious with its ace's recovery, but the fact that he avoided Tommy John surgery and the relatively positive news about the state of his ligament are strong signs that he could still have significant fantasy value in 2025.
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Braves' Spencer Strider: Officially moves to injured list
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Atlanta placed Strider on the 15-day injured list Sunday with a UCL sprain in his right elbow.
The 25-year-old righty underwent an MRI on Saturday that revealed damage to the UCL in his right elbow, so it was only a matter of time before he landed on the injured list. It's unclear at this point if Strider will require Tommy John surgery -- which would be the second such procedure of his career -- but he's likely facing a lengthy absence regardless.
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Braves' Spencer Strider: MRI shows damage to UCL
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Strider underwent an MRI on Saturday that revealed damage to the ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow. He will be further evaluated by Dr. Keith Meister in Arlington, Texas, at a date yet to be determined.
Strider reported discomfort in his right elbow after his second start of the season in Friday's 6-5 extra-inning win over Arizona, and the worst-case scenario seems to be unfolding for the 25-year-old. If Tommy John surgery is deemed necessary, it would be the second for Strider in his young career. He should be considered out indefinitely, with a move to the injured list likely before the weekend is out. Bryce Elder is a candidate to be called up from Triple-A Gwinnett to replace Strider in Atlanta's starting rotation.
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Braves' Spencer Strider: Dealing with elbow discomfort
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Strider reported discomfort in his right elbow after his start Friday against Arizona, Justin Toscano of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.
Strider surrendered five earned runs on seven hits and three walks across four innings while striking out four, and his elbow may have played a part in his poor performance. He's slated to receive an MRI on Saturday, which will provide a better idea of how much time -- if any -- the right-hander will miss.
Strider won't start Wednesday after Atlanta's game versus the White Sox was postponed due to inclement weather in Chicago, LaMond Pope of the Chicago Tribune reports.
The game will be made up on June 27, which had been a mutual off day for the two clubs. Atlanta is off Thursday, which means Strider's next start will come Friday at home against the Diamondbacks.
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Braves' Spencer Strider: Fans eight in no-decision
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Strider came away with a no-decision in Friday's 9-3 win over the Phillies, allowing two runs on five hits and two walks over five innings. He struck out eight.
The right-hander fired 59 of 90 pitches for strikes and generated 18 swinging strikes in a typically dominant performance, but Atlanta didn't take the lead until the eighth inning. Strider led all pitchers with 35 strikeouts this spring in 22.2 innings, and he didn't slow down in his first regular-season start. After racking up a league-high 281 Ks last year in 186.2 innings, Strider will take aim at 300 in 2024.
Strider and Atlanta won't face the Phillies on Thursday after the game was postponed due to forecasted rain in Philadelphia.
The season opener for both clubs has been rescheduled for Friday at 3:05 p.m. ET. Strider, who had been slated to take the hill Thursday, will presumably be bumped back one day in the schedule to go head-to-head against the Phillies' Opening Day starter, Zack Wheeler.
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Braves' Spencer Strider: Arsenal could expand
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Strider unveiled a curveball during a live batting practice session against Matt Olson on Monday, David O'Brien of The Athletic reports.
After the BP session, Strider was reluctant to label his new toy as a true curveball, instead suggesting it was just a modified version of his slider. "The terminology, you know, on all this stuff - sweeper, slider, cutter, curve, slurve, who knows what anything does? I think it's just manipulating the ball a little more, seeing what kind of different shapes I can get." The right-hander has become one of the most dominant pitchers in baseball while relying on two pitches, a fastball that in 2023 had an average velocity of 97.2 mph (93rd percentile) and a slider that generated a 55.3 percent whiff rate. Strider did sprinkle in a changeup once in a while last year (7.3 percent), but if he can add another breaking pitch as well, at-bats against him could become even more frustrating.
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Braves' Spencer Strider: Confirmed for Game 4 start
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Strider will start Thursday in Game 4 of the NLDS in Philadelphia, Mark Bowman of MLB.com reports.
This was merely a formality, as Strider started Game 1 and will be on regular rest Thursday. He took the loss in the series opener in spite of a terrific effort which saw him allow two runs (one earned) while striking out eight over seven innings. The Phillies have not yet confirmed their Game 4 starter, but it's expected to be Ranger Suarez.
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Braves' Spencer Strider: Confirmed for Game 1
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Strider will start Saturday against the Phillies in Game 1 of the NLDS.
Strider struggled toward the end of the regular season, posting a 5.60 ERA and 1.32 WHIP across 27.1 innings in September. However, he was dominant in the two starts he made against the Phillies that month, giving up four runs over 14 innings while striking out 20 batters and walking just two.
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Braves' Spencer Strider: Notches 20th win
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Strider (20-5) earned the win Saturday, allowing three runs on six hits and three walks over five innings against the Nationals. He struck out seven.
Strider closed out the 2023 regular season on a high note Saturday, posting a quality start and fanning seven batters en route to his 20th win of the campaign. While the 24-year-old allowed three or more runs in five of his last six starts, Strider managed to finish 2023 with a 3.86 ERA and 281:58 K:BB across 186.2 innings while leading the league in wins and strikeouts.
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Braves' Spencer Strider: Collects 19th win
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Strider (19-5) allowed four runs on seven hits and a walk while striking out four over 5.2 innings to earn the win in Game 2 of Sunday's doubleheader versus the Nationals.
Strider picked up his fourth win when allowing four or more runs this year. Despite not having his best stuff, he's now won three stars in a row, allowing eight runs over 19.2 innings with a 24:3 K:BB in that span. The Atlanta ace has a 3.81 ERA, 1.07 WHIP and 274:55 K:BB through 181.2 innings over 31 starts this season. He should get a chance to be the only 20-win starter in MLB this year with one more projected start in the regular season, tentatively lined up to be at home against the Nationals.
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Braves' Spencer Strider: Next start pushed to Wednesday
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Strider is dealing with an illness but is in line to make his next turn through the rotation Wednesday against the Phillies, David O'Brien of The Athletic reports.
The right-hander originally lined up to make a start during Monday's series-opening doubleheader, but the ailment will push him back a couple days in Atlanta's rotation. Since Strider won't be having his turn in the rotation skipped entirely, the illness doesn't look to be anything that will affect him from a workload standpoint when he returns to the mound Wednesday. Strider was chased in the third inning after allowing six earned runs in his most recent outing last Wednesday versus the Cardinals, but he went 4-0 with a 1.67 ERA, 0.70 WHIP and 34:8 K:BB in 27 innings over his preceding four starts.
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Braves' Spencer Strider: Rocked by Redbirds
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Strider (16-5) took the loss against St. Louis on Wednesday, allowing six runs on six hits and three walks while striking out five batters over 2.2 innings.
Strider struggled from the start of the contest, allowing four runs on three hits and a walk in the first frame. He got through the second unscathed despite allowing another hit, then issued two free passes around two hits in the third before departing with two outs in the inning. It was a frustrating start against a middle-of-the-pack team in terms of scoring, both for the hurler and for fantasy managers who roster him in head-to-head leagues currently in the playoffs. Strider has been one of the best pitchers in the game this season, but this was a good reminder that he isn't immune to blow-ups, as he's now allowed at least five runs in an outing five different times through 28 starts.
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Braves' Spencer Strider: Fans 10 in 14th win
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Strider (14-4) picked up the win in Friday's 4-0 victory over the Giants, scattering one hit and one walk over seven scoreless innings. He struck out 10.
The right-hander retired the first nine batters he faced before putting LaMonte Wade on with a walk to lead off the fourth inning, and that was the only frame in which Strider even let a runner get into scoring position. He generated 32 called or swinging strikes among his 97 pitches as he fanned double-digit batters for the first time in August and the 10th time this season. Strider will take a 3.57 ERA, 1.08 WHIP and 227:46 K:BB through 146.1 innings into his next outing, likely to come at home next week against the Mets.
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Braves' Spencer Strider: Blanks Mets for 13th win
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Strider (13-4) picked up the win in the second game of Saturday's doubleheader sweep of the Mets, allowing three hits and four walks over seven scoreless innings in a 6-0 victory. He struck out six.
New York scored only three runs total on the day and none off either of Atlanta's starting pitchers, failing to cash in the opportunities Strider gave them in the nightcap. The right-hander has issued multiple free passes in three straight starts, but he's also delivered quality starts in three of his last four outings. Strider's 4.67 ERA in 34.2 innings since the All-Star break isn't reflected in his 51:13 K:BB or 1.21 WHIP, and he'll look to bring those ratios down further in his next start, likely to come at home next weekend against the Giants.
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Braves' Spencer Strider: Rocked by Pirates
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Strider (12-4) allowed six runs on five hits and three walks over 2.2 innings Monday, striking out three and taking a loss against the Pirates.
After two scoreless frames, the Pirates plated six runs in a disastrous third inning. It was Strider's shortest outing of the year and the first time he struck out fewer than six batters. The 24-year-old has given up at least four runs in three of his last five outings, registering a 5.86 ERA during that stretch. Strider owns a terrific 211:41 K:BB through 132.1 innings but his season ERA shot up to 3.94. His next start is lined up to be on the road against the Mets.
