Braves Spencer Strider Electric as It Gets in Third Rehab Start

The Atlanta Braves righty's third rehab start couldn't get much stronger as he is now stretched out to a starter's workload

Strider is that much closer to being back on the Braves | Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images

Spencer Strider once again annihilated batters during his rehab assignment down in Triple-A. The Atlanta Braves righty pitched 5 1/3 innings 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.

Strider could join the Braves rotation as soon as next week, but there are no guarantees. He already showed he was likely ready in previous rehab starts, but getting him further stretched out for major league action is proving to be worth it.

At this rate, he'll be able to come back and give the Braves six innings of work from the get-go. Better yet, he is still on track to return just over 12 months after he suffered a UCL injury. With the struggles the Braves rotation has had early in the season, early and cruching it will be a breath of fresh air.

Through 11 games, Braves starters have a 4.31 ERA. Remove 14 scoreless innings from the fellow Spencer in the rotation, and the staff's ERA balloons to 5.80.

Struggles aside, they're also already down Reynaldo López, who is shut down for the next 12 weeks following arthroscopic surgery on his shoulder. This is a 12-week wait to find out when he can start throwing again. The Braves haven't ruled out a return, but it's unknown if he will be able to pitch again this season.

On the flip side, the Braves' offense has also struggled, so having a starter who can make the game that much more winnable will also help their chances. It sounds obvious, but it's not always thought about.

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. 

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.