Braves' Spencer Strider: Shaky control in season debut
Rotowire
Strider (oblique) did not factor into the decision Sunday, allowing three runs on four hits and five walks over 3.1 innings against the Rockies. He struck out six.
Strider made his first start of the season after opening on the injured list with a left oblique strain and struggled to consistently find the zone, throwing 48 of 87 pitches for strikes and issuing five free passes. It wasn't a strong outing for the right-hander, who also allowed a homer to TJ Rumfield in the third inning, but Strider did strike out six and simply being back on a big-league mound is a step in the right direction. After posting a 4.45 ERA and 1.40 WHIP with a 131:51 K:BB across 125.1 regular-season innings (23 starts) in 2025, the 27-year-old is looking to return closer to his form from 2022 and 2023 prior to injuries. Strider is tentatively scheduled to start Saturday against the Dodgers, though how Atlanta manages his workload will be worth monitoring.
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Braves' Spencer Strider: Activated for 2026 MLB debut
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Atlanta reinstated Strider (oblique) from the 15-day injured list to start Sunday's game at Colorado.
The right-hander has missed the first month-plus of the regular season while working his way back from an oblique strain, but he's ready to make his first big-league appearance of the year after a three-start rehab assignment. Strider built up to 82 pitches and five innings during his final rehab outing, so his workload shouldn't be significantly limited in his 2026 debut. In last year's return from internal brace surgery on his elbow, Strider had an up-and-down campaign with a 4.45 ERA, 1.40 WHIP and 131:51 K:BB across 125.1 innings.
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Braves' Spencer Strider: Making season debut Sunday
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Strider (oblique) will return from the 15-day injured list to start Sunday's game against the Rockies at Coors Field, Mark Bowman of MLB.com reports.
Strider's left oblique checked out fine following his third and final minor-league rehab start last Sunday with Triple-A Gwinnett, setting the stage for the right-hander to make his 2026 debut with the big club. The 27-year-old gets a less-than-ideal landing spot for his first start with Atlanta in hitter-friendly Colorado, but he should be in line for relatively standard workload. He upped his pitch count to 82 and covered five innings in his final rehab outing.
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Braves' Spencer Strider: Rejoining rotation this weekend
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Atlanta manager Walt Weiss said Tuesday that Strider (oblique) will be activated from the 15-day injured list to make his season debut this weekend in Colorado, Grant McAuley of the Marietta Daily Journal reports.
A report earlier Tuesday said that Strider would make one more rehab start, but that turned out to be inaccurate. Weiss did not reveal the specific day Strider would make his season debut, but if he pitches on four days' rest as he has been on his rehab assignment, he'd start Friday. Strider threw 82 pitches over five innings Sunday with Triple-A Gwinnett, so he should be ready for a relatively normal workload against the Rockies. He's missed the first month of the season with a left oblique strain.
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Braves' Spencer Strider: Piles up seven Ks in rehab start
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Strider (oblique) struck out seven and allowed two earned runs on four hits and two walks across five innings Sunday in a rehab start for Triple-A Gwinnett.
In what was likely the third and final start of his rehab assignment, Strider delivered another strong outing to convince Atlanta that he's ready to return from the 15-day injured list. The 27-year-old built up to 82 pitches (50 strikes) Sunday, inducing 16 whiffs while maxing out at 96.9 miles per hour with his fastball. Assuming his oblique checks out fine following his next bullpen session, Strider will tentatively line up to make his season debut with Atlanta during its upcoming weekend series in Colorado.
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Braves' Spencer Strider: Notches eight Ks in rehab start
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Strider (oblique) struck out eight and permitted one hit and one walk over 4.1 scoreless innings in his rehab start Tuesday with Triple-A Gwinnett.
After tossing 3.1 scoreless frames for High-A Rome during his first rehab start last Thursday, Strider moved up a couple levels for his second minor-league outing but was unfazed by the jump in competition. The right-hander pumped in 46 of his 65 pitches for strikes, topping out at 98.1 miles per hour with his fastball and inducing 15 swinging strikes, 10 of which came via his slider. Strider will look to build up to the 80-pitch mark his next time out in what will likely be his final rehab outing in the minors before Atlanta brings him back from the 15-day injured list. He tentatively lines up to make his 2026 MLB debut during Atlanta's three-game series in Colorado next weekend.
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Braves' Spencer Strider: Moving rehab to Triple-A
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Strider (oblique) is scheduled to make the second start of his rehab assignment Tuesday at Triple-A Gwinnett, Chad Bishop of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.
He'll be making the jump to Gwinnett from High-A Rome along with rehabbing catcher Sean Murphy (hip), who was behind the plate last Thursday in Strider's first minor-league outing. Strider spotted 27 of his 50 pitches for strikes in his start with Rome, recording three punchouts while yielding one hit and two walks over 3.1 scoreless frames. The right-hander will get further stretched out further Tuesday in what's expected to be the second of three total starts in the minors before he returns from the 15-day injured list and slots back into the Atlanta rotation.
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Braves' Spencer Strider: Sharp in rehab start Thursday
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Strider (oblique) allowed one hit and two walks over 3.1 scoreless innings in a rehab start for High-A Rome on Thursday. He struck out three.
The right-hander built up to 50 pitches as he made his first rehab start, retiring the first eight batters he faced. Strider is expected to need at least two more minor-league outings before he'll be ready to join the big-league rotation. He's been sidelined since mid-March due to an oblique strain but appears on track to make his 2026 debut with Atlanta in early May.
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Braves' Spencer Strider: Will throw live BP on Saturday
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Strider (oblique) will throw a live batting practice session Saturday, Chad Bishop of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.
It's presumed to be the last step before Strider heads out on a rehab assignment. Strider suffered the strained left oblique at the end of spring training and has missed his first three turns through the rotation, but it appears a 2026 debut will happen in the near future. Martin Perez has been filling in at the back end of Atlanta's rotation while Strider has been out.
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Braves' Spencer Strider: Injury not viewed as serious
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Strider (oblique) may not miss much more than the minimum amount of time, Thomas Harrigan of MLB.com reports.
During an appearance on MLB Network Radio on Sunday, Atlanta president of baseball operations Alex Anthopoulos described Strider's oblique strain as "mild", and not as bad as the issue that cost Sean Murphy the first two months of 2024. "I think it will be sooner rather than later that you see [Strider] back," Anthopoulos said. The right-hander is first eligible to come off the IL on April 6, but it's not yet clear if he'll be ready by then. Strider himself missed about a month of action late in 2022 with an oblique issue.
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Braves' Spencer Strider: Headed to IL with oblique strain
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Atlanta manager Walt Weiss said Monday that Strider will begin the season on the injured list with an oblique strain, Mark Bowman of MLB.com reports.
Strider had been slated for his final Grapefruit League tune-up outing Monday versus the Pirates, but that assignment will now go to Didier Fuentes. Jose Suarez is expected to slide into Strider's rotation slot once the regular season gets underway, with Fuentes still set to open in the bullpen. Atlanta is hoping Strider will be back in action in a couple weeks, but that's no safe bet given the fickle nature of oblique injuries. Strider has dealt with depressed velocity this spring, though the results have been there, as he allowed three runs with an 11:2 K:BB over 8.1 innings.
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Braves' Spencer Strider: Fans five against Rays
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Strider allowed two hits and a walk over four scoreless innings in Wednesday's Grapefruit League game against the Rays. He struck out five.
The right-hander built up to 61 pitches (43 strikes) and mostly sat 94-95 mph with his fastball, topping out at 96.5 mph. Strider might not get back his pre-injury heat -- he was averaging 97.2 mph with his four-seamer as recently as 2023 -- but he's expanded his arsenal with a curveball in addition to his slider and changeup, and he looked comfortable with all four offerings Wednesday. Strider is looking to rebound from an uncharacteristically shaky 4.45 ERA and 1.40 WHIP over 23 starts in 2025.
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Braves' Spencer Strider: Maintains velocity in third start
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Strider struck out five and gave up two hits and one walk over four innings in Wednesday's Grapefruit League start against the Rays.
Making his third start of the spring, Strider built up to 61 pitches (43 strikes) and delivered his best performance to date. He induced nine swinging strikes -- including five with his slider -- and retired eight of 12 batters via either strikeout or groundout, with another out coming on a pickoff. Perhaps more importantly, the velocity gains Strider noticed in his previous start last Thursday carried over into Wednesday's outing. He peaked at 96.5 miles per hour with his four-seam fastball and averaged 94.8 mph overall, per Mark Bowman of MLB.com.
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Braves' Spencer Strider: Logs quality start in loss
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Strider (7-14) took the loss against the Pirates on Saturday, allowing three runs on eight hits and two walks with five strikeouts over six innings.
Strider generated 15 whiffs on 85 pitches and entered the sixth inning locked in a pitcher's duel before allowing two runs in the frame. While 2025 was a disappointing campaign overall, the 26-year-old closed on a steadier note, allowing three earned runs or fewer in each of his final six starts. He'll finish the season with a 4.45 ERA, 1.40 WHIP and 131:51 K:BB across 125.1 innings.
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Braves' Spencer Strider: Sharp in seventh win
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Strider (7-13) earned the win Sunday over the Tigers, allowing six hits and three walks over five scoreless innings. He struck out six.
Strider has won back-to-back starts while posting a 2.10 ERA over his last five outings (30 innings). The right-hander lowered his ERA to 4.45 with a 1.38 WHIP and 126:49 K:BB through 22 starts (119.1 innings) this season. Strider is tentatively lined up to face the Pirates at home his next time out.
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Braves' Spencer Strider: Pushed back in pitching schedule
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Strider is no longer scheduled to make a start during Atlanta's series with the Mets this weekend, Mark Bowman of MLB.com reports.
After claiming Cal Quantrill off waivers from Miami, Atlanta has reconfigured its rotation and will have Joey Wentz, Quantrill and Bryce Elder make starts against the Mets from Friday through Sunday. Strider most recently pitched Monday against the White Sox, taking his 11th loss of the season while allowing seven earned runs over three innings. The right-hander has fallen short of the standards of a quality start in each of his last five outings, turning in a 10.38 ERA and 2.31 WHIP over 21.2 innings during that stretch. Strider tentatively lines up to make his next start during Atlanta's series in Miami early next week.
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Braves' Spencer Strider: Not starting Saturday
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Strider has been scratched from his start in Saturday's matchup with the Cincinnati at the MLB Speedway Classic in Bristol, Tenn. due to the game being delayed over an hour by inclement weather, Gabe Burns of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.
Strider had already completed most or all of his warmup before the delay was announced, per Mark Bowman of MLB.com, so Atlanta is opting to go to a bullpen game rather than risking an injury to the star hurler. Atlanta is off Sunday, so Strider's next start likely won't come until at least Monday against Milwaukee. It's not yet clear which reliever will start Saturday for Atlanta if the game takes place.
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Braves' Spencer Strider: Registers fifth win
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Strider (5-8) picked up the win Monday at Kansas City, conceding two runs on seven hits and two walks over five innings. He struck out three.
The Atlanta right-hander did not have his sharpest stuff, as evidenced by his paltry five whiffs out of 96 total pitches. Strider gave up both runs during a three-hit first frame, as he worked around seven total hits allowed, which matched his season worst set July 4 against Baltimore. Across 77.2 total innings, the 26-year-old has pitched to a 3.71 ERA, 1.22 WHIP and 92:32 K:BB while yielding 10 long balls. Strider currently lines up to make his next start during the MLB Speedway Classic at Bristol Motor Speedway against Cincinnati this weekend.
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Braves' Spencer Strider: Sparkles through six
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Strider (4-7) picked up the win after throwing six shutout innings Friday, allowing three hits and three walks while striking out eight during a 7-3 win over the Yankees.
As far as starts to the second half go, it'd be hard to imagine a better one for Strider. He put up all zeros in a start for the second time this season, with the other start coming June 14 against the Rockies. That start against Colorado marked the beginning of a seven-start streak of allowing three runs or fewer that is still ongoing. Over that time, the 26-year-old is 4-2 with a 2.55 ERA and 58 strikeouts across 42.2 frames.
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Braves' Spencer Strider: Strikes out 11 versus A's
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Strider allowed three runs on five hits and three walks while striking out 11 over 6.2 innings in a no-decision versus the Athletics on Thursday.
Strider got off to a shaky start, allowing a three-run home run to Tyler Soderstrom in the first inning. That would be all the damage on Strider's ledger for the game, and he was able to dial up double-digit strikeouts for the second time this season. He's allowed three homers and six total runs over 12.2 innings in July after going five starts without giving up a long ball. The Atlanta ace is at a 3.94 ERA, 1.17 WHIP and 74:24 K:BB over 61.2 innings through 11 starts this season, and he's gone at least five innings in eight straight outings. Strider will get some time to rest over the All-Star break before likely taking the mound at home versus the Yankees next week.
