After Atlanta Braves starter Spencer Strider left Friday night's game against the Mets with elbow and shoulder soreness, fans knew to brace for the worst. After all, pitcher seldom receive good news after their velocity drops over five miles per hour during a start.
Although the Braves haven't revealed the severity of Strider's injury two days later, the latest update doesn't bode well for fans who were holding out hope that this injury was not serious.
Braves manager Walt Weiss says today there is “nothing definitive yet” on Spencer Strider; Strider will next go be evaluated by Dr. Keith Meister this week
— Chad Bishop (@MrChadBishop) June 14, 2026
Spencer Strider set to see doctor known for performing Tommy John surgeries
Dr. Keith Meister has performed over 180 Tommy John surgeries on professional and collegiate pitchers, dating back to 2007, according to @MLBPlayerAnalys's database of all Tommy John surgeries performed. He was also the doctor who performed Strider's UCL internal brace surgery in 2024.
While the Braves were vague with Strider's update, the fact that Strider's MRI necessitated a visit to Dr. Meister should be a worrying sign. Although pitchers have visited Meister and been spared of a Tommy John surgery appointment, like Johan Oviedo of the Red Sox did this season, those outcomes do seem to be the exception.
If Strider requires serious elbow surgery, his MLB career could be in jeopardy. Strider had his first Tommy John surgery in college, and had the internal brace surgery in 2024. The success rate of pitchers returning from a second Tommy John surgery is far more grim, with only 61% of pitchers returning to pitch, as of 2025.
Nathan Eovaldi and Jameson Taillon are two exceptions when it comes to returning to the mound and regaining the success they once had. Shohei Ohtani is currently dominating hitters after his second elbow surgery, but Ohtani and his agent claim his most recent surgery in 2023 was not Tommy John.
Although we won't get a final word on the severity of Strider's injury until later in the week, it's clear that Braves fans should be bracing for the worst.
Add us as a preferred source on Google