Braves Spencer Strider Expected to Travel With Team During Road Trip

The Atlanta Braves starting pitcher has looked good and is expected to work out with the team in Tampa

Strider has a chance to re-join the rotation | Jonathan Dyer-Imagn Images

All-Star starting pitcher will be heading down to Tampa to join the Atlanta Braves this weekend. Manager Brian Snitker said that Strider would come and do his side sessions with the team on Sunday. 

He’s also expected to travel with the team to their next stop on their road trip, Toronto. 

While Snitker didn’t indicate how likely Strider was to pitch or not this upcoming week, there is an implication that he could. 

The Braves pitcher is coming off his most dazzling start since he began seeing live action again. He pitched 5 1/3 pitches and allowed one run on three hits and two walks while striking out 13 batters. He struck out over 60% of the batters he faced.

He threw exactly 90 pitches, as was planned, and threw 69% of them for strikes. In three rehab starts, he has a 1.32 ERA, a 0.73 WHIP and 27 strikeouts in 13 2/3 innings pitched.

The right-hander was likely already ready to face Major League competition, but the Braves chose to play it safe and get him stretched out. They also have to think the long game with him. There are a lot fo seasons after 2025 they hope to have in the rotation for. 

Strider is finishing up his recovery from a UCL injury he suffered two starts into last season. He didn’t require Tommy John surgery, but he had a brace put into his elbow. 

He’ll provide a major reinforcement to the rotation, which is struggling out of the gate and facing injuries. 

Through 12 games, Braves starters have a 4.03 ERA. Remove 20 innings of one-run ball from the fellow Spencer in the rotation, and the staff's ERA balloons to 5.80. 

In 32 starts during his last full season, he finished with a 3.86 ERA, a 1.09 WHIP and a 109 ERA+ in 186 2/3 innings. He led the National League in strikeouts with 281. This earned him an All-Star appearance, and he finished fourth in the Cy Young Award voting.