Bone Fragment Caused Spencer Strider's Elbow Surgery
Atlanta Braves right-hander Spencer Strider's (elbow) UCL ligament was compromised by the unavoidable development of a bone fragment. But instead of having Tommy John surgery for the second time in his career, Dr. Keith Meister fixed Strider's damaged UCL by inserting an internal brace last week. It could allow the Braves' hurler to pitch again early next season. The 25-year-old was the top-ranked fantasy starter coming into the 2024 season after leading all of baseball with 483 strikeouts from 2022-23. Strider was told he might have been pitching with the fragment in his ligament for at least a couple of years. He initially felt discomfort in his elbow in spring training before things deteriorated quickly early in the regular season. In single-year fantasy leagues, Strider can be dumped since he won't pitch again in 2024.
Spencer Strider Undergoes Surgery, Out For The Season
Atlanta Braves ace Spencer Strider (elbow) underwent surgery to repair the UCL in his right elbow on Friday and will miss the rest of the season. He is expected to be sidelined for up to 12 to 14 months after undergoing internal brace surgery on his pitching elbow. The 25-year-old will be sidelined for 2024 and is expected to miss the early part of 2025. Strider finishes the 2024 season with a 7.00 ERA, 1.67 WHIP, and 12 strikeouts over nine innings. Fantasy managers in redraft leagues can safely cut Strider while he remains a must-stash in dynasty and keeper leagues. The Braves called up Darius Vines from Triple-A Gwinnett on Friday to take Strider's place in the rotation. Vines owned a 3.75 ERA, 0.83 WHIP, and an 11:3 K: BB across 12 innings for Triple-A Gwinett. The 25-year-old is a speculative add in deep leagues for fantasy managers searching for pitcher help.
Braves Waiting To Make Announcement On Spencer Strider
Atlanta Braves manager Brian Snitker said that right-hander Spencer Strider (elbow) visited with Dr. Keith Meister in Dallas on Monday, but the team isn't going to reveal what was said before this weekend. The skipper said yesterday's visit didn't erase the possibility of Tommy John surgery, and the Braves might be waiting for the surgery to be completed before providing an update on Snitker. The 25-year-old ace was put on the 15-day injured list on Sunday with a UCL sprain in his right elbow, and the expectation is that he'll undergo his second Tommy John surgery and miss the remainder of the 2024 season. Fantasy baseball managers need to brace themselves for the bad news this weekend. Because of the lengthy rehab associated with TJ surgery, Strider is unlikely to be ready for the start of next year, either.
Braves Place Spencer Strider On 15-Day Injured List
The Atlanta Braves officially placed right-hander Spencer Strider (elbow) on the 15-day injured list with a right-elbow UCL sprain on Sunday and recalled right-hander Allan Winans from the minors in a corresponding move. Strider complained of some pain in his right elbow after his last start and underwent an MRI exam on Saturday that showed damage in his UCL. It's terrible news for one of the best pitchers in baseball, and the 25-year-old is potentially looking at needing Tommy John surgery for the second time in his career. Fantasy managers need to hold onto the ace for now, but another TJ surgery would wipe out the rest of his 2024 campaign and cause him to miss the start of the 2025 campaign as well. Even if Strider can avoid surgery, he's probably going to be out for months.
Atlanta Braves starting pitcher Spencer Strider (elbow) reported discomfort in his throwing elbow following his start on Friday against the Arizona Diamondbacks. Strider underwent an MRI on Saturday, and it revealed UCL damage in his right elbow. This is a crushing blow as Strider was often the first starting pitcher taken in fantasy drafts and a favorite to win the NL Cy Young. While Strider will visit Dr. Keith Meister at a later date, it is not promising to know that there is damage in his throwing elbow. Strider may join the list of fellow starting pitchers who are slated to miss the entire 2024 season in Eury Perez and Shane Bieber. Expect the Braves to call up Bryce Elder, Dylan Dodd, or AJ Smith-Shawver from Triple-A to fill his spot in the meantime.
Spencer Strider Getting MRI Due To Elbow Discomfort
Atlanta Braves starting pitcher Spencer Strider (elbow) complained about elbow discomfort following Friday's start against the Arizona Diamondbacks and will get an MRI on Saturday. After Strider labored through four innings and gave up five runs on Friday against the D-backs, it's the last thing the Braves and fantasy managers want to hear. The 25-year-old strikeout machine led MLB with 20 wins and 281 punchouts in 32 starts a year ago, and all we can do is hold our collective breath that Atlanta's ace isn't dealing with any kind of significant injury. His next start is tentatively scheduled for Wednesday against the New York Mets, but that looks to be very much in doubt at this point. Strider has a 7.00 ERA and 1.67 WHIP with 12 K's through nine innings this year.
Atlanta Braves pitcher Spencer Strider is set to start on Opening Day on March 28 versus the Philadelphia Phillies opposite Phillies right-hander Zack Wheeler. It's the first of what should be many Opening Day nods for the right-hander who comes into the 2024 season as the top fantasy starting pitching option available. Strider worked to a 3.86 ERA across 32 starts in the 2023 season but also paced the big leagues with 281 strikeouts, 44 more than second-place Kevin Gausman (237). Additionally, he also posted a 2.85 FIP and a 2.86 SIERA, suggesting he was much better than his surface ERA suggests. Strider should be the first pitcher off the draft board in all formats in 2024.
Atlanta Braves pitcher Spencer Strider is slated to make his spring debut Saturday versus the Tampa Bay Rays. The right-hander, universally known as the No. 1 pitcher in fantasy baseball, took a step back in 2023 following a dominant rookie campaign. After posting a 2.67 ERA across 30 outings (21 starts) in the 2022 season, Strider worked to a 3.86 ERA across 32 starts last season. However, while he dropped his walk rate to just 7.6% a year ago, the strikeouts kept pouring in as he posted a 36.8% K% in 2023, just below the 38.3% clip he turned in as a rookie, and in 12 more starts. While his ERA stood at 3.86 last season, his SIERA was a full run below at 2.86 as he should absolutely be the top pitching target on draft day.
Atlanta Braves right-hander Spencer Strider threw something that looked as much like a curveball in spring training on Monday as anything he's ever thrown. Strider said he's toying with slider shapes in camp just to get a feel for things as he prepares for the 2024 regular season. Ranked as the top starting pitcher by RotoBaller, Strider could be even more dominant if he develops another effective pitch to keep hitters off balance. The 25-year-old came close to winning the National League Cy Young in 2023 and led the league in wins, strikeouts and FIP, showing just how good he really is. The only thing that should potentially have fantasy managers worried about Strider is his steadily rising workload over the last couple of seasons.
Atlanta Braves right-hander Spencer Strider couldn't manage to save the team's season in Game 4 of the National League Division Series on Thursday night in Philadelphia against the Phillies. He managed to strike out seven batters in 5 2/3 innings of work, but he also allowed three solo home runs, which was the difference in the ballgame. Strider lost both of his starts in the NLDS to the Phillies after winning 20 games in a fantastic regular season for Atlanta. The postseason hasn't been kind to the impressing 24-year-old, as he's now 0-3 in three career starts with a 5.40 ERA, seven walks, 19 strikeouts and five home runs allowed in 15 innings. The tough end to his season shouldn't take away from his great third year in the big leagues, though, as he led the league with 281 strikeouts, 20 wins, a 2.85 FIP and 13.5 K/9.
