The Atlanta Braves, who have faced early season struggles, are expected to get a major boost as right-hander Spencer Strider is nearing a return from the injured list. In his most recent rehab appearance with Triple-A Gwinnett on Thursday, Strider delivered a dominant outing—striking out 13 batters over 5 ⅓ innings while allowing just one run and throwing 90 pitches in a 6-1 win over the Norfolk Tides, the Orioles’ affiliate.
While the Braves have not officially named a starting pitcher for Wednesday’s game in Toronto against the Blue Jays, Strider appears likely to take the mound that night, benefiting from an extra day of rest. MLB.com reports that he is slated to be activated for that start. Teams often list a starter as “TBA” when a player needs to come off the injured list, as is the case with Strider.
Through three rehab outings, Strider has given up just two runs and struck out 27 batters over 13 ⅔ innings, steadily increasing his pitch count. His fastball averaged 95.3 mph and reached 97.3 mph in his most recent start—slightly down from his 2023 average, but still very effective. He’s currently in a spring training-like phase, continuing to build velocity and stamina.
Manager Brian Snitker told reporters that the team would evaluate Strider’s condition following Thursday’s outing before making a final decision. Based on his performance and how he felt afterward, all signs point to him returning to the Braves’ rotation this week. “He got back out there and threw the pitches we needed to see—it was exactly what we hoped for,” Snitker said.
The Braves are dealing with rotation challenges, particularly after losing Reynaldo López for at least three months due to shoulder surgery. In the meantime, they’ve been relying on less-experienced arms like Bryce Elder, Grant Holmes, and AJ Smith-Shawver behind veterans Chris Sale and Spencer Schwellenbach. Strider is likely to replace Elder in the rotation.
Strider, 26, was one of baseball’s elite starters before undergoing elbow surgery, compiling a 3.36 ERA and racking up 483 strikeouts across 318 ⅓ innings between 2022 and 2023. He even finished fourth in NL Cy Young voting in 2023. Alongside Strider, the Braves are also hoping to get Ronald Acuña Jr. back soon. The 2023 NL MVP continues his recovery from ACL surgery and has started hitting, though he remains several weeks away from returning to action.
