The Braves announced that right-hander Spencer Strider has been placed on the 15-day injured list, retroactive to April 18, with a strained right hamstring. Fellow righty Michael Petersen has been recalled to take his spot on the roster.
Strider just came off the IL less than a week ago. He had spent just over a year recovering from UCL surgery. He made one start, tossing five innings against the Blue Jays. He was scheduled to take the ball again tomorrow against the Cardinals. According to David O’Brien of The Athletic and Mark Bowman of MLB.com, he just suffered the injury while playing catch within the past hour. He then told the club that he wouldn’t be able to make his start.
At this point, there’s nothing to indicate this will be a significant absence, but it’s the latest speed bump in what has already been a frustrating season for Atlanta fans. The 2025 campaign has gotten out to a terrible start. There was at least a bit of momentum recently, with Strider’s return and the club sweeping the Twins over the weekend. But those three victories still leave the club in last place in the National League East with an 8-13 record.
Now Strider is going to miss at least a couple of turns through the rotation, meaning the club will have to quickly pivot in terms of their plans. Spencer Schwellenbach is taking the ball tonight. Bryce Elder is scheduled to pitch Wednesday on regular rest. Bumping Elder up to tomorrow to take Strider’s spot would mean pitching on short rest. Chris Sale and Grant Holmes are lined up to follow Elder.
Reynaldo López is also on the injured list and won’t be back anytime soon, as he’s going to be shut down into July. Ian Anderson was traded to the Angels just prior to Opening Day, with José Suarez coming back in return. Suarez himself was designated for assignment last night when the club acquired reliever Scott Blewett.
AJ Smith-Shawver was with the big league club earlier this year but he just tossed 5 2/3 innings at Triple-A on Friday, meaning he would have to pitch on short rest to take the ball tomorrow. Hurston Waldrep threw five innings on Saturday, meaning he shouldn’t be available. Davis Daniel logged five innings yesterday. Dylan Dodd has been pitching in relief in the minors but does have some starting experience. Zach Thompson was up with the club as a long relief guy earlier this year. He pitched in Triple-A yesterday, but only two innings, so perhaps he’ll have some availability for tomorrow.
That will be a short-term challenge, as the club is off on Thursday. If they want to get Smith-Shawver or any of those other pitchers into the mix, they should be able to do it by this weekend. Still, it’s a less than ideal development for the club at this stage. As mentioned, they have dug themselves into a bit of a hole in the early going. They have some work to do in order to get back into the mix in the coming months. Strider is one of the most dominant pitchers in the league at his best and was hopefully going to stabilize the rotation in the absence of López. That might still happen but will now have to wait for a couple of weeks, or perhaps longer.
Photo courtesy of John E. Sokolowski, Imagn Images
Great….
Aww man
Again!
Good God
Whoop dee doo
This guy needs to mix in a steak, brittle
What’s the over/under for Strider starts this season? Guessing around 10-12?
I’m gonna go with 8 starts for the year and then he gets shut down after the All Star break when the Braves are completely out of contention for the wild card
This miserable season will come together once Acuna is traded midseason. Can’t wait.
This miserable season isnt about to be miserable now that Atlanta is heating up, but your hard on for getting rid of Acuna is getting old.
Maybe now they’ll sign Bumgarner.
Yes, he will enable the Braves to win the NLCS.
Ugh. I’m so sorry Braves fans. Hang in there.
Why r u sorry what r u even talking about cringe man
Y u knot feeeeeel sseepanthy?
The Braves apparently have no Goodwill
within the Baseball Gods!
That’s at least 3 missed starts!
How the hell do you get your hamstring injured playing catch? If the ball’s not thrown straight to you, let it go, don’t strain yourself in practice!
Just ask Allen Iverson!
Practice, Practice!
We talking bout practice man!
When the vaunted Mets rotation of DeGrom etc got the injury bug fans of other teams took glee in celebrating those injuries, blaming overwork or mishandling by the organization for bad injury luck.
When the Braves go through the same situation years later, it’s nothing but an outpouring of sympathy, support, and lament of their bad luck around the league. It’s really weird.
@D2323 – Do you feel better airing that out? You’ve held onto that for awhile. A guy with Popeye’s forearms for legs gets hamstrung and somehow, deGrom is pulled into this. Beethoven couldn’t play your tiny violin better.
That’s because they were all taught that hard slider that blew all their arms out.
Boger Reshens? If you say his name too often he might appear. Like the Candyman!
perpetual victimhood is such a fun personality trait.
I believe it’s learned behavior. Sorry for sounding argumentative.
Mets fans gotta stop crying if you want to be seen with the big boys (Yankees, Dodgers, Red Sox).
The Mets are clearly better than the Yankees and Red Sox. Red sox fans cry more then any other fans in baseball.
If you analyze why Mets people are always comparing themselves to or lashing out at the Braves and their fans you should see a clear little-brother, underdog, victim mentality. It is due to the fact that you all see your franchise as a failure whether you fully realize that or not.
the “sympathy’ comes from last season’s epic injury onslaught and the fact they already lost the 2024 ERA leader for basically the season, not simply Strider being hurt. Although, it is worse when kids get hurt than veterans
The Media has pumped up everything NY, LA, Boston, etc. for decades….it’s not hard to hate on teams when we constantly hear how great they are or they report the tiniest of moves like they’re the greatest thing since sliced bread. Braves and anything Atlanta for that matter typically gets crapped on lol
Awwwww
You must be a Mets fan too lol
No I root for the World Champs.
Shocker
and your point is?
Only a fan of a team that gets pumped up by the media constantly would make a snide comment like yours…that was my point
@braveshomer
You mean when people react to your whining and paranoia it bothers you? Awww. You don’t have an inferiority complex. The inferiority is apparently real. When the Braves win, they get more coverage. Like all winners.
P.S.
There have been more stories in the past week on this site about the Braves than about the Dodgers.
and The Mets. Congrats you win the injured player report competition.
No. That post is really weird.
Strider…. The new Mike Hampton
2024 Senga
2025 Strider
It would be poetic for Scott Blewett to take the ball.
We can’t have nice things
Actually you have had nice things and you toss them aside. Max Fried should never have been a free agent…. Freddy Freeman…. Strider will fade like others do… Atlanta will keep repairing Acuna injuries, they will over evaluate albies… at least they have Chapman and Sean Murphy…. Band Aid team. Sogn a ton of talent and can’t consecutively win anything….
Max Fried was the Braves player rep. He was intent on “advancing salary for the position.” He signed the largest FA contract ever doled out to a LH pitcher. No way the Braves were going to exceed that deal for a 31 year old FA—and they shouldn’t have. Imagine a Cards fan whining about the Braves being a “band aid team” and never winning “anything.” You’re not even aware that the Braves don’t have either “Chapman.” A good troll knows the players on the team he envies. Try harder and enjoy the years of lower payroll and constant rebuilds you have coming w/the Cards.
Honestly, that’s like saying the Cards should never have let Pujols walk. Total ridiculousness. Not all teams have endless bank accounts. The Braves, like many others, will simply have to bow out of some of the bidding wars. The good news is they are smart enough to bow out early on the ones they have very little chance of winning and pivot to other options.
Examples – No way the Braves go after Sale if they sign Fried to an extension early like they had other players in the past. Pivoted from Freddie to Olson when Freddie’s camp was acting like the Braves were the Yankees/Mets/Padres/Dodgers owners. Some teams just know what they will and won’t be able to do and act on it. Can’t fault the Braves FO for that.
Where’s the MLB Trade Rumor article about Acuna’s deleted social media comments??
mlb.com/braves/news/ronald-acuna-jr-jarred-kelenic…
Maybe it got deleted…
With all the writers here you’d think someone would address it.
This is indicative to a pitcher that clearly hasn’t been healthy in ages. He’s a small framed guy that is trying to throw every pitch 101mph or more. His delivery has always been jerky and violent. Until he either bulks up or changes his delivery the injury woes will continue until he’s just known as a one year flash in the pan. Fix him or retire him is the two options.
No the Braves know best you aren’t allowed to criticize how any organization handles pitchers unless it’s the Mets.
Reminds me of Lincecum
what a crappy last 8 months
Worst team in the league. They almost have to fire the GM. Everybody and their cousin knew that rotation was in trouble.
The blogs will find a way to blame Snitker
Acuna will tweet.
It’s the Cardinals. Just find someone who has never pitched in the big leagues and you’ll get 6 innings of shutout ball.
The Nine would have had the Hobbits outside of Bree if Strider had pulled a hammy.
Them Baggins boys know how to stand by their bros.
THE BRAVES HAVE NO DEPTH.
THE BRAVES HAVE NO FARM.
THE BRAVES HAVE NO CHANCE IN 2025.
Good night.
They have all 3 of the things you say they don’t. Troll on and remember that drunk posting isn’t improved by all caps opinionated rants.
the braves have no depth
I sure am glad we threw Ian Anderson away and got peanuts in return!
Have you seen Anderson pitch w/the Angels this season Merc? Decent chance he’ll be available on waivers soon. Still walking the park, and nobody gets much for players w/out mil options left when they’re dealt/waived. You’re right they got nothing for him though.
If only Braves fans would watch Morton/Anderson fighting over which one can have the 11.00 ERA and more walks than strikeouts on other teams, maybe, just maybe they would be ok moving on.
The Braves’ rotation is cursed!