It’s tough to get a feel for who the Atlanta Braves are as a team. On paper, when healthy, the Braves should be one of the better teams in Major League Baseball. Instead, they sit at 19-21 and have been derailed by injuries over the past few years.
With Ronald Acuna Jr. expected back in the near future, the Braves should feel somewhat confident about things turning around. Adding Spencer Strider to the mix, too, the right-handed ace, should only help Atlanta.
According to MLB.com’s Mark Bowman, there’s a chance that Strider could be ready to go in the immediate future.
He added that he feels great, but said that he hasn’t pitched in a few weeks and wouldn’t be surprised if the team doesn’t feel comfortable putting him out there at the moment.
“I feel good to go, but admittedly, I haven’t pitched in three weeks,” Strider said. “So, I won’t be shocked if they don’t feel comfortable running me out there. I’ve made my availability known. Beyond that, it’s up to them.”
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As long as Strider feels confident enough to pitch, that’s all the Braves need to hear. Whether they throw him right now or in another week or two remains to be seen, but health is the most important aspect.
He’s only thrown in three games since the start of the 2024 season, dealing with multiple injuries in that span. However, when he was healthy and at his best, he was arguably the best starter in baseball, posting a 2.67 ERA during the 2022 season with an incredible 202 strikeouts in 131.2 innings.
The Braves desperately need that back given where they stand.
