Spencer

Strider

Strider added that his elbow ligament was in “surprisingly good” shape during last week’s internal brace procedure, which became necessary due to a bone fragment in his right elbow that had developed over the last few years, which was destabilizing the ligament. There’s zero incentive for the Braves to rush his rehabilitation process, but the latest revelations seem to bolster the likelihood that he returns early on next season as an elite fantasy contributor.

The positive news for the Braves, and fantasy managers, is that Strider underwent an internal brace procedure to repair the ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow, not a full Tommy John ligament reconstruction, which expedites his return timeline considerably. The 25-year-old fantasy ace will miss the remainder of the 2024 campaign, but should be ready to return in the early stages of next season.

Strider experienced elbow discomfort during his start Friday against the Diamondbacks, and an MRI on Saturday revealed structural damage. The right-hander will miss extended time, but it’s not yet known what kind of timeline the injury presents. Allan Winans was recalled from Triple-A in a corresponding transaction.

While it’s not a certainty that he’ll wind up requiring Tommy John surgery, damage to the UCL and a visit to Dr. Meister are never what you want to hear. The 25-year-old fantasy ace experienced significantly diminished fastball velocity during Friday’s abbreviated four-inning start against the Diamondbacks and told the Braves’ medical staff afterwards that he was experiencing elbow discomfort. While he hasn’t been placed on the injured list yet, it’s only a matter of time. It’ll most likely be either Bryce Elder or Dylan Dodd taking the ball in his absence on Wednesday against the Mets.

Uh oh. That’s never what you want to hear, especially for the top pitcher in the game. Strider struggled in Friday’s start against the Diamondbacks, giving up five runs on seven hits over his four innings while recording only four strikeouts. His average fastball velocity in the start was only 95.9 mph, which was down more than a mile per hour from his regular average. We’ll know more after Saturday’s exam, all we can do now is wait and hope for the best. It would be a major blow to the Braves — and to fantasy managers — if Strider is forced to miss any substantial time.

Strider walked three while also giving up seven hits. The right-hander was ineffective, but the big news here is that multiple outlets report that he dealt with elbow discomfort and will undergo an MRI in the coming days. It remains to be seen if Strider can make his next scheduled start against the Mets.

This was the series finale between Atlanta and Chicago. The game has been rescheduled for June 27. The postponement allows the White Sox to stay on schedule with their rotation and start Michael Soroka tomorrow in Kansas City. Meanwhile, the Braves will now have two days off as the team travels back home for a weekend series against the Diamondbacks. Spencer Strider will start the first game of that series.

Strider punched out eight batters on the afternoon while issuing just one free pass. He made just one mistake in the ballgame, catching too much of the plate on a 2-2 fastball to Brandon Marsh with one out in the fifth inning that turned into a two-run homer. Fortunately, the Braves offense rallied in the seventh and took Strider off the hook for the loss. He got a whopping 18 swings and misses on 90 pitches in the ballgame — 11 on his slider and two on his new curveball — while registering an elite CSW of 34 percent. He’ll try again to earn his first victory of the season when he does battle against the White Sox in Chicago on Wednesday.

The highly anticipated pitching duel between Zack Wheeler and Spencer Strider is on hold. Weather on the East Coast is already putting a damper on the official first day of the season. The game is rescheduled for Friday at 3:05 PM ET.

It was said before the game that Strider would throw just three innings today, but that changed at some point, and the change cost Strider his perfect spring; he hadn’t allowed a run in 21 2/3 innings going into the fourth. Of course, a 0.79 ERA and a 35/8 K/BB ratio is still pretty good. He’ll face the Phillies on Opening Day.