Spencer Strider received an important update on Saturday.
The Atlanta Braves were defeated 6-0 by the Cleveland Guardians on Saturday night. Before the game, Braves manager Walt Weiss shared an update on injured pitcher Spencer Strider. Strider, who is dealing with an oblique injury, is expected to begin his rehab assignment on Thursday but is not expected to return before the end of April, Mark Bowman reports.
The fact that Strider is set to begin his rehab assignment soon is encouraging. Perhaps the starter will be able to return in May. However, an official return date for Strider has yet to be revealed.
The Braves rotation needs the right-hander back as soon as possible. Chris Sale is a star and Reynaldo Lopez, Grant Holmes and Bryce Elder have performed well, but having a high ceiling guy like Strider in the rotation will be important.
Spencer Strider
Strider, 27, is a former All-Star pitcher. He made the All-Star team in 2023 and even finished fourth in National League Cy Young voting. However, he was limited to only two starts in 2024. He returned in 2025, but struggled across 23 outings. The Braves pitcher recorded a 4.45 ERA during that span.
When Strider is at his best, he is one of the better strikeout pitchers in the game. In his incredible 2023 season, he led the league with 281 strikeouts.
For now, all the Braves can do is continue to play their best brand of baseball amid Strider's injury absence. They have been able to find success for the most part, but Strider has still been missed.
The Braves will continue to monitor and provide updates on Spencer Strider's injury status as they are made available.
What's Next for the Braves?
The Braves fell to 9-6 as a result of Saturday night's loss to the Guardians. Atlanta has still had a strong start to the 2026 campaign considering all of the injuries in their rotation. The Braves are in first place in the National League East despite Strider, Spencer Schwellenbach and other starters being out due to injuries.
Atlanta will look to get back into the win column as soon as possible. The Braves' next game is scheduled for Sunday night against the Guardians at 7:20 PM EST in Atlanta. Tanner Bibee is set to start for Cleveland while the Braves will turn to ace Chris Sale. It projects to be a competitive contest between the leaders of the NL East and AL Central.