The Braves rotation takes another hit in a brutal Spring.
The Atlanta Braves just can't catch a break.
Right-hander Spencer Strider will begin the 2026 season on the injured list after suffering an oblique strain, manager Walt Weiss announced on Monday.
Strider had been scheduled to make his final spring training start against the Pittsburgh Pirates before he was scratched from the lineup.
The Braves are hopeful that Strider will only miss a couple of weeks, but oblique injuries are unpredictable and even mild strains can keep a pitcher sidelined for around a month.
If the absence stretches beyond two weeks, Strider would likely need a minor-league rehab assignment to build his arm back up before rejoining the big-league roster, which could complicate things even further for a pitcher who was already trying to find his footing.
A Frustrating Setback for Strider
This is tough timing for Strider, who was looking to put a rough stretch behind him and show he could still pitch at an elite level.
The 27-year-old missed almost all of 2024 after undergoing Tommy John surgery, then came back in 2025 and posted a 7-14 record with a 4.45 ERA across 23 starts.
That was a far cry from his All-Star 2023 season, when he led the majors with 20 wins and 281 strikeouts while finishing fourth in National League Cy Young voting.
The early signs this spring had actually been encouraging, though. Strider went 2-0 with a 3.24 ERA in 8.1 innings of work during spring training, striking out 11 batters while walking just two.
Braves fans were hoping that a healthier, more comfortable Strider might start trending back toward his old self, but instead he'll be watching from the sidelines when the season begins.
Braves Already Dealing With a Pile of Injuries
Strider's injury adds to what has been an awful spring for Atlanta's pitching staff.
Starters Spencer Schwellenbach and Hurston Waldrep both landed on the 60-day injured list after undergoing surgeries to remove loose bodies from their elbows during the first two weeks of camp.
Left-hander Joey Wentz tore his ACL and is done for the entire year. On top of that, A.J. Smith-Shawver is still recovering from Tommy John surgery.
That means three of the Braves' five projected starters will be unavailable to begin the season, and the rotation decisions have been scrambled as a result.
Atlanta will open the year with Chris Sale, Reynaldo Lopez and Grant Holmes as their top three options, with Bryce Elder and Jose Suarez filling out the back end of the rotation.
The injuries don't stop at pitching, either.
Shortstop Ha-Seong Kim is out for more than a month with a hand injury, and outfielder Jurickson Profar will miss the entire season due to a suspension.
What Comes Next for Atlanta?
The Braves went 76-86 last season and are trying to bounce back in a competitive NL East.
With the Phillies coming off a 96-win campaign and the Mets reloaded, Atlanta needs its roster healthy to keep pace.
Free agent starter Lucas Giolito remains unsigned just days before Opening Day and could be a target if the Braves decide they need more pitching depth, though his own injury history raises questions about how quickly he could get up to speed.
For a team that used a franchise-record 71 players last season because of injuries, this is a familiar story.
Strider's oblique strain is just the latest chapter, and how the Braves handle these early-season challenges will go a long way toward defining their 2026 campaign.