A return to the Braves' rotation this season seems to be unlikely for Strider.
For the majority of the season, the Atlanta Braves’ rotation has been without flamethrowing starter Spencer Strider, who has dealt with an injury over the past few months.
Strider last made an appearance for the Braves in June before right elbow inflammation landed him on the injured list on June 13, before being transferred to the 60-day injured list just a few days later. It is his second IL stint this year, as a left oblique muscle strain held Strider out of the season’s first month.
As a result of the injuries, Strider has made a total of eight starts this year. In that short span, his strikeout numbers have remained strong, but his command hasn't been as sharp and he posted a 5.31 ERA in 39 innings of work. The hope was that he could eventually return to bolster the Braves’ rotation down the stretch, though the chances of that seem to be unlikely.
On Friday, Braves manager Walt Weiss said it is unlikely that Strider will pitch for the Braves again this season, according to Barrett Sallee of 680 The Fan.
Atlanta has yet to say Strider’s season is definitively done, but that has been the consensus and the assumption of his injury since he suffered it in June, according to Mark Bowman of MLB.com.
The update on Strider comes at a rather inconvenient time, as Weiss announced two other major injury updates at the same time. Weiss had announced that Braves pitchers Hurston Waldrep and Spencer Schwellenbach will both undergo surgery for their respective injuries and will be out for the remainder of the season.
Losing both pitchers makes Strider’s likely outcome this season a detrimental one.
While Atlanta has remained in contention throughout the season despite many issues in their starting rotation, the potential of getting those reinforcements towards the end of the year was something they had depended on, as the Braves only added starter Tyler Mahle to bolster their rotation at the trade deadline. If Strider were to not return, their options remain slim.
At the moment, the Braves' rotation consists of ace Chris Sale, Mahle, Bryce Elder, Grant Holmes and Martín Pérez, who each have been pleasant surprises. Elder had struggled mid-season after a strong start to the year, but has bounced back nicely in posting a 3.51 ERA over his past seven starts. AJ Smith-Shawver is another option for Atlanta’s rotation.
One lack in the Braves’ rotation is a frontline starting pitcher, one that can be entirely depended upon in a postseason run. While Strider has proven himself at such stakes, his absence down the stretch is a big loss for the Braves.
