Atlanta Braves right-hander Spencer Strider underwent season-ending surgery, an early deft blow to the Braves this MLB season.
Strider, a 20-game winner last season, sustained UCL damage early on this season. That ultimately led to Strider’s needing surgery, which will most likely take him out until Opening Day 2025.
The Braves announced the update on the 2023 National League All-Star.
“RHP Spencer Strider yesterday underwent surgery to repair the ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow with internal brace,” the Braves said. The team credited Dr. Keith Meister of Arlington, Texas, with the surgery and revealed he would miss the remainder of this season.
Strider, 25, has already become one of the top pitchers in MLB. He’s recorded a career 3.47 ERA in four years in the big leagues in 329.2 innings pitched. He’s tossed 495 strikeouts and led MLB in the category with 281 in 2023. That followed a 2022 season in which Strider threw 202 strikeouts. So, in his only two full seasons, he’s thrown 200-plus strikeouts.
We’d say that’s pretty good.
Strider was named an NL All-Star in 2023 and finished fourth in NL Cy Young voting. He finished second in NL Rookie of the Year voting in 2022 to teammate Michael Harris II.
Atlanta will surely miss Strider and his prolific strikeout abilities on the mound. It’s a big blow to a team that hoped to contend for a World Series in 2024.
About Chris Novak
Chris Novak has been talking and writing about sports ever since he can remember. Previously, Novak wrote for and managed sites in the SB Nation network for nearly a decade from 2013-2022