Ronald Acuna Jr., Spencer Strider Not Expected To Be Ready By Opening Day
According to David O'Brien of The Athletic, Atlanta Braves outfielder Ronald Acuna Jr. (knee) and starting pitcher Spencer Strider (elbow) are not expected to be ready by Opening Day. General manager Alex Anthopoulos said, "We're planning on not having them on the Opening Day roster. How soon after that, we'll see how that goes. And as we get closer and get into spring training, we'll probably be able to update." Fantasy managers should continue monitoring their progress during the offseason and Spring Training; they could potentially sit out significantly during the 2025 season. Acuna suffered a torn ACL in his left knee last May, while Spencer Strider underwent an internal brace procedure in April. During the 2023 season, Acuna captured the NL MVP by hitting a stellar .337/.416/.596 line with 41 home runs and 733 stolen bases. In the same season, Strider finished fourth in NL Cy Young voting with a 3.86 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, and 281 punchouts across 186 2/3 innings of work. When healthy, both players are elite fantasy assets and would have been consensus first-round selections in all fantasy formats.
Atlanta Braves president of baseball operations Alex Anthopoulos said it's too early to know when right-hander Spencer Strider (elbow) will be back and said it could be as soon as Opening Day in 2025 or as late as early June, if for some reason he needed more time. Right now, there have been no setbacks for Strider or reason to think his timetable would be on the longer end. The 25-year-old had an internal-brace procedure done on his right elbow in the middle of April to fix UCL damage in his right elbow. Strider previously had Tommy John surgery on the same elbow, but the hope is that the internal-brace procedure will help him return sooner than later. Fantasy managers looking to draft Strider as their ace should have more clarity on a specific timetable once he gets deeper into his rehab this winter. Strider won a league-high 20 games for Atlanta in 2023 but started just two games in 2024.
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.
Ronald Acuña Jr.
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Braves
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