Braves’ Spencer Strider to be further evaluated this week
NEW YORK — Braves pitcher Spencer Strider will be examined this week by Dr. Keith Meister, an orthopedic and sports medicine surgeon in Texas, manager Walt Weiss said Sunday at Citi Field.
“Nothing definitive yet,” Weiss said of the nature of Strider’s injury to his throwing arm. “We know there’s inflammation in the elbow. We’re waiting on Dr. Meister’s evaluation to see what he says. Still nothing definitive right now. We just want to let Dr. Meister get a look at it and get his diagnosis.”
Strider, 27, left Friday’s game against the Mets after 68 pitches and a significant and alarming decrease in his fastball velocity. Strider had thrown just under 97 mph in the first inning, then his last fastball in the fourth inning registered at 87.8 mph.
He is on the 15-day injured list and Anthony Molina was called up from Triple-A Gwinnett.
Making his eighth start of the season after missing a month because of an oblique injury, Strider has a 4-2 record and 5.31 ERA. He struck out 46 hitters in 39 innings and held opponents to a .232 batting average.
Strider returned to Atlanta on Saturday and Weiss confirmed Strider had an MRI this weekend, but the organization wants Strider to be evaluated further.
Meister performed an internal brace procedure on Strider in 2024 and worked with Braves pitchers Hurston Waldrep and Spencer Schwellenbach in February, as well as multiple other Braves pitchers.
While pitching at Clemson in 2019, Strider had right elbow surgery to repair a torn ulnar collateral ligament. He had an second elbow surgery in April 2024. In 2025, Strider went 7-14 with a 4.45 ERA.
The loss of Strider is a major blow to a Braves starting rotation that has the fifth-best ERA in baseball and third-best ERA in the National League. Rookie JR Ritchie (1-1, 3.82) will take Strider’s spot in the rotation next week.
Long-term plans for the team’s pitching staff will be dictated by heath and performance but could include Waldrep (currently at Triple-A Gwinnett), Schwellenbach (who hopes to pitch later this season) or AJ Smith-Shawver (who is on track to begin a rehab assignment starting later this month).
About the Author
