Atlanta Braves fans are still awaiting an answer on the future of Spencer Strider after it was revealed he injured the UCL in his right elbow. Not to mention, Max Fried is also struggling to start the season and those two things combined are worrisome.
Strider visited Dr. Keith Meister in Dallas, Texas on Monday to determine what the extent of the damage is and what the treatment plan will be. He will determine if Stider needs Tommy John or not. There is a bracing procedure that takes less time to heal from (by just a few months) but that would still put Spencer out for the season.
Regardless of what treatment is decided upon, the Braves have lost their ace for the 2024 season. Fans just haven't received any confirmation of anything after the visit and before tonight's game with the New York Mets, Braves insider and MLB.com's Mark Bowman revealed Atlanta doesn't plan on releasing any update until this weekend.
Basically, Strider visited Dr. Meister in Dallas yesterday. The Braves aren’t revealing what was said before this weekend. So instead of saying today that he’s going to have TJ surgery, they might just wait a few more days to confirm he had surgery. https://t.co/aYGGumPU6V
— Mark Bowman (@mlbbowman) April 9, 2024
This suspense isn't great as it lets your brain run wild with the possibilities. Will he get Tommy John and be out until at least next Summer? Or will he be able to get surgery that allows him to return at the start of the 2025 season? Or is there a chance he doesn't have surgery?
The likelihood of no surgery is almost 0% at this point. Atlanta would have likely already announced that if it were the case. Instead, Bowman speculated that the Braves most likely already know what is going on and are just waiting for Strider to receive surgery and announce this weekend the damage was successfully repaired. Dr. Meister, according to Brian Snitker, didn't erase the possibility of Tommy John being possible. So, it seems both parties are just weighing their options and making the appropriate decision.
It feels like that is most likely the case as the Braves like to wait to make announcements when they have all of the details available. It's unfortunate because Spencer really seemed ready for a Cy Young season and for that to all end in his second start of the year is a tough pill to swallow.
Hopefully, they make the best decision to help Spencer heal his body and come back ready to go for the 2025 Atlanta Braves. He has already had Tommy John once in 2019 while in college. Pitchers can come back from a second TJ procedure but you never know what to expect after surgery. Keep your eyes on House That Hank Built as we will provide updates as they are made available.