Atlanta Braves manager Walt Weiss had an update on Spencer Strider's injury after his bullpen session on Friday.
The Atlanta Braves received good news on Friday regarding Spencer Strider, as the right-hander continues to progress in his recovery from a left oblique strain.
Strider, who suffered the injury just days before Opening Day, has been working his way back after entering the season fully built up. His latest step came with a scheduled bullpen session, which appears to have gone exactly as the organization had hoped.
“Weiss said Strider's bullpen went well today. Still no timetable for when he might start a rehab assignment. He may throw live BP before making a start for one of the Minor League affiliates,” reported Mark Bowman of MLB.com before Friday’s game against the Arizona Diamondbacks.
While there is still no official timeline for a rehab assignment, the fact that Strider completed his bullpen session without any setbacks is an encouraging development for Atlanta.
It signals that he is trending toward the next phase of his recovery, and whether that includes a live batting practice session or not, a rehab assignment now appears to be on the horizon.
When that assignment does begin, it may not take long. Because Strider was already fully stretched out prior to the injury, he likely will not need an extended ramp-up period in the minors before rejoining the big-league rotation.
Strider’s importance to the Braves cannot be overstated. The 27-year-old is widely viewed as the team’s biggest X-factor this season, especially after a challenging 2025 campaign.
Returning from Tommy John surgery, he struggled to regain his dominant form, posting a career-worst 4.45 ERA across 23 starts while recording 131 strikeouts in 125 1/3 innings.
Those numbers were a big difference to his 2023 season, when he led all of MLB with 281 strikeouts and earned an All-Star selection.
Even if Strider does not immediately return to that elite level, his presence alone would provide a major boost to an Atlanta rotation that has been hit hard by injuries.
Right-handers Hurston Waldrep and Spencer Schwellenbach are both still recovering from elbow surgeries, leaving the Braves to rely heavily on a mix of veterans and younger arms early in the season.
Since being selected in the fourth round of the 2020 MLB Draft, Strider has spent his entire career with Atlanta. When he returns in 2026, it will mark his sixth season in the majors.
For a Braves team looking to bounce back from a disappointing 2025 season and return to the postseason, getting Strider back and effective will be a key piece of the puzzle.