Spencer Strider made another injury rehab start on Tuesday.
The Atlanta Braves are hopeful that starting pitcher Spencer Strider will be able to return from his oblique injury soon. On Tuesday, the right-handed pitcher made another injury rehab start. According to Mark Bowman, Strider recorded eight strikeouts across 4.1 innings of work for the Braves' Triple-A team. He did not allow any runs and surrendered only one hit.
Braves catcher Sean Murphy, who is also recovering from injury, started the game at catcher. Throwing to a Braves teammate potentially helped Strider in the contest. It was a strong overall second injury rehab start for Strider, who certainly seems like he is getting close to being able to return to the big league squad.
The next step for the right-handed hurler will be pitch count. Starters often return once they are able to reach 75-85 pitches without trouble. If he can reach that mark in his next rehab start, perhaps Strider will return not too long after.
With that being said, Atlanta is going to continue to proceed with caution. The Braves will not rush him back. If Strider performs like he did on Tuesday in his next outing, though, Atlanta will surely feel comfortable about bringing him back to the starting rotation sooner rather than later.
Braves Lose to Nationals on Tuesday
The Braves have played well to begin the 2026 MLB season. However, Atlanta was defeated 11-4 on Tuesday by the Washington Nationals.
Reynaldo Lopez pitched only one inning and surrendered four earned runs on five hits. The bullpen proceeded to allow seven more runs in the defeat.
Offensively, the team scored four runs in the game. Drake Baldwin continued to swing the bat well as he recorded a home run. Mauricio Dubon added two hits and a run scored.
The Braves are now 16-8 overall this season. The Nationals, meanwhile, improved to 11-13 overall. Atlanta continues to lead the National League East, as they hold a three-game lead over the Nationals and Miami Marlins, who are tied for second place in the division.
Washington will host Atlanta once again on Wednesday night. Martin Perez (1-1, 2.21 ERA) is set to start for the Braves while Zack Littell (0-2, 7.11) will get the start for the Nationals. The series is now tied 1-1. Wednesday's matchup will be the third contest of a four-game series.
First pitch is scheduled for 6:45 PM EST as the Braves hope to jump back into the win column.