Braves Spencer Strider's Next Rehab Start Scheduled

The Atlanta Braves starter is set to make his second rehab start with Triple-A Gwinnett later this week

Strider looks to get stretched out further for his return | Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images

Atlanta Braves starting pitcher Spencer Strider's next rehab start has been scheduled. According to the Braves’ Triple-A affiliate, the Gwinnett Stripers, Strider will be on the mound for Friday’s game against the Nashville Sounds. 

In his first rehab start, he pitched three innings of one-run ball, allowing two hits and a walk while striking out six. Strider threw 60 pitches, with 41 of them being for strikes (68%). 

The goal is to get him stretched out that much further. Based on his pitch count per start since he started seeing live action in Spring Training, it wouldn’t be surprising to see him make the jump to 75 pitches.

The progression has been 27 pitches, then 45 and then 60. That would track. 

Ahead of his rehab assignment, he was projected to make three starts with Triple-A Gwinnett before the Braves rotation. This would put him two-thirds of the way there. 

If all goes as it should, he should be back in starting rotation by the end of April. That has him back just over one year after he went down. 

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 right elbow. 

He progressed enough to see live action during Spring Training. One start was, by definition, perfect. He retired all eight Boston Red Sox batters he faced and struck out six of them. His start against the Baltimore Orioles didn’t go as smoothly. He allowed three runs, two earned, one two hits and one walk while striking out four. 

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. 

Once he’s back, FanGraphs has projected that you will see Strider be one of the top arms in the rotation.  He is projected to finish with a 9-5 record, a 3.19 ERA and 170 strikeouts in 129 innings pitched, a 1.10 WHIP, a 3.2 WAR and a 3.05 FIP.