Atlanta Puts Strider on Injured List and Calls Up Pitching Help From Gwinnett

The Atlanta Braves have made a move to address either Strider's rotation spot or some bullpen help

The Atlanta Braves have help on the way. 

Just days after starter Spencer Strider was diagnosed with “damage to the ulnar collateral ligament” in his right elbow and is being sent for a consult with notes surgeon Dr. Keith Meister in Dallas, the Braves have made a move to get another pitcher on the roster. 

Strider has officially been placed on the 15-day injured list, potentially just a temporary measure until a full re-evaluation of the injured UCL can be done. Manager Brian Snitker wasn’t hopeful that there was much good news on the way from the second opinion, remarking that the good news is “he'll get whatever it is fixed and come back and he'll have a really good career.”

To fill Strider’s roster spot, Atlanta selected the contract of Allan Winans from AAA Gwinnett. 

Winans, 28, started six games for Atlanta last season, going 1-2 with a 5.29 ERA. Strider’s spot in the rotation is Wednesday against the New York Mets, and Winans is expected as of now to be the starter for that game, the third in the four-game series before Atlanta’s trip to Miami to take on the winless Marlins, provided he's not needed in a long relief role prior to that outing.

Atlanta's bullpen isn't overused from the weekend so far, but they've already used both of their bulk innings guys. Reliever Dylan Lee pitched 2.2 innings on Saturday night in relief of Fried, while Jesse Chavez pitched two innings in relief of Strider on Friday, and the addition of Winans will bridge the gap until those two are available for another appearance. 

It's an interesting dynamic for Winans, because if he gets the start against New York on Wednesday, it'll be his third start against the team since Atlanta acquired him in the minor league portion of the Rule 5 draft from the Mets in December of 2021.

Snitker was clear when discussing with the media that no one can really replace Strider, but the innings had to be pitched by someone and this injury can’t be used as an excuse, because pitching injuries are not unique to this team or this organization. “It’s happened to a lot of other people, we’re not the only ones that have been bit by it this year. That’s just part of it. You deal with it. That’s why you try to acquire depth in your organization, because you know you’re going to need it. Nobody’s insulated from it, everybody goes through it. Multiple teams out there have dealt with this same thing.”

Just over the weekend, the Cleveland Guardians announced that starter Shane Bieber will have Tommy John surgery and the New York Yankees confirmed that reliever Jonathan Loaisaiga has a torn UCL that will require reconstructive surgery as well. Eury Pérez of the division rival Miami Marlins was confirmed to need Tommy John surgery just earlier last week. 

Multiple reigning Cy Young award winners are currently out with injury across MLB in what’s being described as an “epidemic” of catastrophic arm injury and other severe ailments. Of the active players who have won a Cy Young, only Blake Snell (2023, 2018) and Corbin Burnes (2021) are currently active and not on injured lists, although Snell has not pitched this season as he builds up after signing late in spring training. 

Among the Cy Young Award-winning pitchers across baseball that are currently out are Sandy Alcantara (Tommy John), Jacob DeGrom (Tommy John), Max Scherzer (herniated disk), Clayton Kershaw (shoulder), Gerrit Cole (damaged UCL), Justin Verlander (shoulder), Robbie Ray (Tommy John), and Shane Bieber (Tommy John).