The Braves announced that right-hander Spencer Strider has been placed on the 15-day injured list due to inflammation in his throwing elbow. Right-hander Anthony Molina was called up from Triple-A in the corresponding 26-man roster move.
The placement comes a day after Strider was removed during the fourth inning of Friday’s 7-5 loss to the Mets. Strider was charged with seven runs over his three innings (plus one batter) of work, and he was visited on the mound by a team trainer after walking MJ Melendez to begin the fourth inning.
During the game, the Braves said Strider’s departure was due to soreness in both his right elbow and shoulder. Manager Walt Weiss told MLB.com’s Matthew Ritchie and other reporters post-game that Strider would undergo an MRI, and the fact that Strider has been immediately placed on the IL likely isn’t a good sign.
After an All-Star season in 2023, Strider’s emergence as a homegrown ace of the Braves rotation has been dimmed by multiple injuries. An internal brace surgery sidelined him for almost all of the 2024 season and the first few weeks of the 2025 campaign, and then Strider quickly picked up a hamstring strain that led to another month on the shelf. This season, Strider strained his oblique during Spring Training and didn’t make his 2026 debut until May 3.
Strider has a 5.31 ERA over eight starts and 39 innings in 2026. While his 4.09 SIERA is considerably better than his ERA and Friday’s outing can probably be chalked up to injury, Strider hasn’t really looked like his old self. Strider’s strikeout rate is an impressive 27.9% but he is walking a lot of batters (12.1BB%) and has allowed nine home runs over his small sample size of work. The elite fastball velocity that Strider showed pre-UCL surgery hasn’t returned, as his four-seamer is averaging a modest 95.1mph this year.
Strider’s inconsistency has been one of the few down notes during an otherwise superb year for the Braves, who lead the majors with a 45-24 record. Some early-season injuries thinned Atlanta’s rotation depth and that may be a question again now that Strider is again on the IL, yet the Braves are now in better position to fill a hole in the starting five. JR Ritchie threw five shutout innings in relief of Strider last night and might simply be bumped up to rotation duty, or Reynaldo Lopez could again be stretched out to be a starting pitcher.
Hurston Waldrep was also activated from the 60-day IL yesterday and optioned to Triple-A, as Waldrep continues to build up arm strength after undergoing a February surgery to remove loose bodies from his throwing elbow. Spencer Schwellenbach underwent a similar surgery at the same time but isn’t expected back until after the All-Star break. AJ Smith-Shawver should be back around the same time assuming no setbacks in the righty’s recovery from a June 2025 Tommy John surgery.
Guess who I just traded for in my fantasy league? SMH
Injuries to C Holmes, E Perez and now Strider have decimated the Donkey Boys rotation while they cling to the 2nd best record in the league (for now).
Donkey Boys doing their thing as perennial bottom feeders. Sell the team!
Cheapskate owner won’t spend!
As a White Sox fan there’s no owner cheaper then ours.
Cheapskate owner won’t spend!
I just dropped him after last nights game. :/
Trevor Bauer is the answer
Joe Ryan is the answer
Time to move on.
Amen to that.
Strider doesn’t seem capable of staying healthy and is ineffective in the small sample sizes when he has been healthy the past 2 seasons.
If he can’t stay healthy or be effective as a starter, maybe he’d be better suited out of the bullpen. John Smoltz moved to the bullpen for a couple of seasons when he was returning from injury and was pretty awesome.
I am only speaking for myself, I have no clue what most Braves fans think…I’m ready for Fuentes, Ritchie, Waldrep, Schwellenbach or Smith-Shawver to be healthy, for those returning from their own injuries, and nail down spots in the rotation, if not this season, then going into next season.
I hate to say it but this feels like it’s end of his career.
By that I don’t necessarily mean he won’t work his way back but I really question if he’ll ever be very effective again. He’s already been struggling to regain his form and this makes it even less likely.
Soroka tore his achilles like a dozen times & he’s pitching as well as ever.
1. Soroka was much younger
2. That’s not even the same injury
3. Soroka never relied on velocity like Strider does
Strider is 27, he’s in the prime of his life athletically. Let’s not act like he’s 35 or something.
Ok and how does that make my statement any less valid? Soroka was 22 and 23 years old when his injuries happened. Strider is 27
Look how long it took Soroka to bounce back to effective. It’s been 4 or 5 years.
You put Strider in a similar track he’s 32 by the time he works his way back?
Some of you are dense. If this is as serious as it sounds he’s done for this season and next season. By the time he starts a comeback he’s 29. Is the expectation he’ll magically he an ace his first year back?
He’s spent the last two years trying to figure it out from the first injury and still hasn’t found a good groove prior to yesterday’s injury.
So please, tell me more about how he’s in the prime of his life and 27 years old and how Soroka got injured twice with an entirely separate injury 4 years younger and came back ok.
Do you guys even listen to the words you type on here? Honestly what drug has you living in this perpetual fairyland?
A dozen? Dude, pretty sure it was only 9 times.
Your son has been absent 9 timesss
9 times?!
Ouch. Elbow inflammation, I heard possible nerve compression which was causing some issues in his arm and shoulder joint. He’s probably about finished I think. If he reaggravated or further damaged his reconstructed elbow, he’s done probably.
Iirc strider opted for the internal brace procedure this time. He had tommy john when he was in college. I fear he might have to have the tommy john surgery again but ill wait for them to tell us more before i worry too much.
After this season he stlll has $49 million in guaranteed salary left (minus any lockout). He has financial security for life which is good because he is unlikely now to get the nine digit contract that he would’ve gotten it next free agency. Generating his type of velocity and movement from a 6 foot 195 pound frame is damaging to the shoulder and elbow
Strider’s fastball was in the low 90s last night, 3rd inning it was around 92. The last one he threw to Baty to end the 3rd was 90. When he walked Melendez to open the 4th, he threw three four-seam fastballs, and they were clocked at 88.8, 89.6, and 87.7 mph. Hope it’s nothing serious but he did not look right.
Everyone keep trying to throw 150 mph. Nothing should go wrong.
We need to get back to the Roy Halladay/Tim Hudson sinker ball style of pitching
It’s over. You’re washed. You’re done. Lay back and collect the 22M for each of the next 2 seasons.
Braves still owe Strider around $60mm. Ouch!
Thanks for the memories. Just another Braves pitcher who’s career goes downhill like Beachy, Medlen and Soroka.
Sure, but ATL didn’t give the other 2 a franchise-record contract for a SP. This one hurts more. The other’s came from relative obscurity.
I loved Alfred Molina’ role in Spider-Man as Otto Octavius / Doctor Octopus.
He’ll be fine with time. Internal brace surgery recovery is no joke. I’m surprised he’s done what he has this year, honestly. His body needs proper “non contractual” time to build back up. This game is all about adapting to whatever sets you back. He’s smart. The Braves have 3 studs coming back after ALL-Star break, plus Ritchie and Didier to fill the rotation slots. They’re fine.
Save him for last couple weeks n playoffs cuz right now hes not right.
Lets him get healthy n pray he can be his dominant self come the playoffs otherwise hard for braves to win WS
Just hopefully he doesn’t face PHI in Philly. I don’t need another GIF/meme to remind me for the next half decade.