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Spencer Strider is returning to the sidelines.
Braves manager Walt Weiss announced on Monday that Strider will commence the 2026 season on the injured list due to an oblique strain. This marks another hurdle in the promising career of the young pitcher.
“I believe we’ve managed to catch this issue early,” Weiss commented regarding Strider’s condition. “Our hope is that it won’t turn into a major problem.”
He added, “Strider doesn’t really feel the strain, but it becomes apparent when he pitches. If he had started today, it might have worsened his condition.”
Due to this concern, Strider was pulled from his scheduled start against the Pirates. Although there is no specific timeline for his return, Weiss expressed optimism that Strider could be back on the field within a few weeks.
Strider is not the only issue with the Braves’ rotation. Spencer Schwellenbach and Hurston Waldrep are both on the 60-day injured list, while Joey Wentz suffered a season-ending ACL tear. They retained 2024 Cy Young winner Chris Sale in free agency, but the rest of the rotation currently includes Reynaldo Lopez, Grant Holmes and Bryce Elder.
And it’s the third major injury Strider has faced in the last three years.
In 2024, he missed nearly the entire season after he hurt his UCL and underwent internal brace surgery. Last year, he was sidelined for the first six weeks of the season, and when he returned, he was not up to his past standard. Strider made 23 starts and finished with a 4.45 ERA and 131 strikeouts.
Atlanta hopes Strider can return to his 2023 form, though — the best year of his career. Strider led the league in wins (20), strikeouts (281) and FIP (2.85), while finishing with a 3.86 ERA. He finished fourth in the National League Cy Young Award voting and made the All-Star team.
Strider was in the midst of a hopeful spring training, going 2-0 with a 3.24 ERA over 8 1/3 innings.
The Braves faltered to fourth place in the NL East last year, ending the year at 76-86 and missing the playoffs. They fired manager Brian Snitker after the year and hired Weiss.
Their quest to return to the postseason is already off to a rough start in 2026 because of Strider and Co.’s injuries.
Besides the pitching staff, shortstop Ha-Seong Kim is sidelined with a hand injury he suffered while falling on ice in January. Outfielder Jurickson Profar will miss the entire season after testing positive for PEDs and receiving a suspension.