The Atlanta Braves have been anticipating Spencer Strider's return for a while now. It's tough seeing the rotation without him, and luckily, his UCL injury last season didn't require Tommy John. The brace procedure saved him and the Braves from a longer absence.
Atlanta's flamethrower just completed his third rehab start today in Norfolk with the Stripers. It went about as well as anyone could have hoped and he looks ready to return to the big league roster.
Spencer Strider's dominant outing bodes well for the Braves
Strider was capped at 90 pitches during this outing and he made the most of it. He lasted 5.1 innings with one run allowed on three hits with two walks and an absurd 13 strikeouts. He only faced 21 batters and 62 of his pitches were thrown for strikes.
Spencer Strider just struck out 13 of the 21 batters he faced on 90 pitches... Chat, is that good?
— Gwinnett Stripers (@GoStripers) April 10, 2025
5.1 IP | 3 H | 1 ER | 2 BB | 13 SO pic.twitter.com/3MDs4zZArV
Strider utilized his entire arsenal during the outing with his fastball sitting around 96 mph. Strider also used his slider and curveball to miss bats throughout. What was most impressive is that he used his changeup against almost every batter and that pitch has become a real weapon for him.
Over three rehab appearances with Gwinnett, Strider has tossed 13.2 innings with a 1.36 ERA, including two runs, four hits, five walks, and 27 strikeouts. That's what absolute domination looks like.
It's extremely encouraging to see and as long as he feels healthy after this outing, it feels safe to assume he will make his next start with the Braves. That could be with the team on the road in Toronto if they keep him on regular rest or they could opt to have him start the series opener at home against the Twins on April 18th.
This will be a massive boost for the starting rotation as Reynaldo Lopez will miss the next 2-3 months recovering from his shoulder surgery. Strider's return would give the Braves a rotation with Sale, Strider, Schwellenbach, Holmes, and Smith-Shawver. That's not too shabby.
His return also means the team is one step closer to being complete. Ronald Acuna Jr. has yet to be cleared to cut while running. He will visit his doctor in LA soon to see if he can be cleared to ramp up his running activities and eventually begin a rehab assignment.
In the meantime, Atlanta will solace in the fact that their ace seems to be healthy. It will be nice to see him in action soon.