Like everyone else, Braves manager Brian Snitker waited for the results of Spencer Strider’s MRI on Saturday.
They were brutal: Strider has damage in the ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow. He will be evaluated by Dr. Keith Meister in Arlington, Texas, at a date yet to be determined.
UCL damage often requires Tommy John surgery. For Strider, this is not yet finalized, the Braves said. Meister’s evaluation will give them a proper course of action.
“It wasn’t good, and you hate that,” Snitker said of the Strider news. “Hate it for him. Feel really bad for him. He’s a kid that does everything right and loves to compete, and everything. Just wait and see what they decide to do.”
The Braves didn’t have much more information than they shared, but it seems the 25-year-old Strider’s season is in jeopardy. If he needs Tommy John surgery, the recovery would be somewhere between 12 to 18 months, and it’s likely he wouldn’t pitch for the Braves again until next summer.
Asked if Tommy John surgery seems to be the likely outcome at this point, Snitker said: “I don’t know. (The medical staff) got all the results and they’re in the process of getting him seen by the doctors, and I’m sure they’ll have something in a few days.”
After Friday’s game, when Snitker announced that Strider reported elbow discomfort and would receive an MRI, it seemed ominous. When discussing a pitcher, that kind of update is usually not good.
Thus, Saturday’s news – that the MRI revealed damage to the UCL in Strider’s right elbow – wasn’t a surprise.
“Yeah, you never expect these things to be good or something that’s just a blip on the screen,” Snitker said. “When a guy has problems like that – we’ve seen it happen too many times.”
Credit: Hyosub.Shin@ajc.com
Credit: Hyosub.Shin@ajc.com
Has the Braves’ medical staff said anything that could be deemed positive news?
“No, I don’t think so, really,” Snitker said. “The good news is he’ll get whatever it is fixed and come back and continue to have a really good career.”
In 2019, Strider underwent Tommy John surgery while pitching at Clemson. He could soon undergo the procedure a second time – if this is what Meister recommends.
Regardless, Strider could miss at least a large chunk of this season. This is rough news for everyone who knows Strider and how much he cares.
“God, he’s so dedicated to his craft,” Snitker said. “I think he’s one of them guys that loves everything about this, and does everything right, from being a great teammate, person, just the dedication to what he does and everything. I hate it for him, because he enjoys it so much.”
Texas Rangers right-hander Jacob deGrom is currently rehabbing following the second Tommy John surgery of his career. Months ago, Dodgers two-way star Shohei Ohtani, who had Tommy John surgery earlier in his career, underwent another elbow procedure – but he wouldn’t say if it was Tommy John.
Rangers right-hander Nathan Eovaldi is one success story for pitchers who have had two Tommy John procedures. Cubs righty Jameson Taillon is another pitcher who underwent that surgery twice and has continued his career.
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
On Saturday, the Braves didn’t call up anyone to replace Strider. They planned on playing a pitcher down for one game. They have impressive Triple-A depth: Bryce Elder, AJ Smith-Shawver, Darius Vines, Dylan Dodd and Allan Winans. Hurston Waldrep could also debut this season.
“We have some good options, and it’s just whatever route we take is just gonna (be) kind of determined (by) how we get through today, and tomorrow, and so forth,” Snitker said.
Strider’s injury is a gut punch for Atlanta. The Braves have “World Series or bust” expectations, as voiced by Strider and others, but their right-handed ace is crucial to their success. They have enough talent to make up for the loss, but Strider is almost irreplaceable. He’s already the game’s top strikeout artist and someone who looked like he was becoming a perennial Cy Young Award candidate.
On Friday, Strider allowed five runs over four innings against Arizona. He didn’t seem like himself. His velocity was down. He threw a 93.8 mph four-seam fastball that was the second-slowest fastball of his career (if you ignore a slower one he threw while falling off the mound.)
Snitker said Strider didn’t complain about his elbow during his start. The manager even heard that Strider told someone he exited the game because the Braves pulled him.
“I think if we would’ve told him to go back out there,” Snitker said, “he’d have went back out and kept pitching.”
But after his start, he reported the elbow discomfort. The Braves sent him for an MRI, which revealed the worst for a pitcher:
UCL damage.
Now, we wait.
Is there optimism that he could return this season?
“Won’t know until the doctors (see him),” Snitker said.
