The Atlanta Braves received unfortunate news after star pitcher Spencer Strider suffered an elbow injury. As of now, it’s not clear how much time he’ll miss, but it’s not looking good. Strider joins a barrage of other pitchers dealing with injury woes this season. Atlanta’s manager, Brian Snitker, shares his opinion on why that’s happening.
There are a ton of injuries in the MLB right now and Snitker seems to know the reason why. The Braves manager claims that pitchers are “throwing harder than ever and spinning the ball more than ever,” according to David O’Brien of The Athletic. It could be the reason why so many young pitchers are struggling to remain healthy.
“Braves‘ Brian Snitker on rash of pitching injuries in baseball: ‘Well, they’re throwing harder than ever and spinning the ball more than ever. I don’t know. I hate it for everybody concerned. That’s the biggest thing we have in our game, man, is the pitching.'”
Guys like Shane Bieber and Eury Perez have already been ruled out for the season after suffering elbow injuries. Both of them require Tommy John surgery and hopefully that’s something Spencer Strider can avoid.
The Braves’ star pitcher had an MRI on his elbow recently and it revealed he has suffered damage to his ulnar collateral ligament. Atlanta announced that Strider will have another doctor take a look at his elbow before making a decision on him.
“Spencer Strider today underwent an MRI that revealed damage to the ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow. He will be further evaluated by Dr. Keith Meister in Arlington, TX, at a date yet to be determined.”
When asked about the injury, Brian Snitker was blunt and honest. It’s unclear how long Strider will be out for but it could be a long while before we see the star pitcher back on the mound.
“‘It wasn’t good,’ Braves manager Brian Snitker said of Spencer Strider’s MRI, which show damage to the ulnar collateral ligament.”
Braves 2024 outlook if Spencer Strider is ruled out for the season
The bad news is that Spencer Strider could be out for a while putting the Braves‘ pitching rotation at risk. However, the good news is that the roster is stacked. Max Fried will serve as the ace while Strider is out. Meanwhile, guys like Charlie Morton and Chris Sale should play just fine and keep Atlanta competitive.
Also, you can’t go wrong with Ronald Acuña at the plate either. The remainder of the offense is fantastic as they have one of the best lineups in the league. So, for that reason, the Braves are likely to remain at the top of the league throughout the regular season.
Hopefully, it’s not a season ending injury for Spencer Strider. If it is, then there will be some concerns for the Braves’ World Series hopes. But overall, Atlanta is still in position to be one of the best teams in 2024.
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