The Atlanta Braves had a very quiet offseason, with their only major move being the signing of Jurickson Profar to a three-year, $42 million contract.
They lost pitchers Max Fried and Charlie Morton in free agency.
However, they still have Chris Sale at the top of their rotation, and right-hander Spencer Strider is taking steps towards a return.
In fact, Strider started on Monday, marking his first Grapefruit League appearance after missing most of 2024 with a forearm injury.
In his first start back, he was quite impressive.
“Spencer Strider is back,” Major League Baseball tweeted. “Five straight strikeouts in his first spring training start of the year!”
Strider made only two starts last season before landing on the injured list, posting a 7.00 ERA in those appearances. The 26-year-old right-hander put together a strong season in 2023, winning 20 games and posting a 3.86 ERA as Atlanta won the National League East.
When he’s healthy, Strider can certainly eat innings and be counted on to lead a rotation. He also recorded 281 strikeouts in 2023 and averaged 13.5 punchouts per nine innings.
The Braves’ rotation will certainly benefit from having him back to full strength. A healthy Strider along with Sale could give the Braves a great chance to get back on top in the NL East after being forced to settle for a Wild Card last season.
We’ll see what Strider can bring to the table after missing an extended period of time. The Braves will need him in order to bounce back from their Wild Card Series loss.
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