The Atlanta Braves placed rookie Spencer Strider on the IL with a strained oblique muscle, per Bob Nightengale. Strider has a good shot at the NL Rookie of the Year award but his status for the postseason is now in question.
The 23-year old right-hander owns a 2.67 ERA and 0.99 WHIP on the season. Additionally, he is a strikeout pitcher in every sense, as Strider already has over 200 strikeouts in 2022.
Spencer Strider has also been extremely valuable to the Braves. It goes without saying, but 200 K’s and a sup-3 ERA is always impressive, however, Strider has stepped up amongst other pitchers’ struggles. Charlie Morton got off to a bumpy start while Ian Anderson dealt with issues throughout the season.
But Strider’s superb effort has been a blessing for Atlanta without question. He’s slotted in as a quality No. 2 option behind Max Fried in the Braves’ rotation.
Atlanta is currently in the midst of an NL East race with the New York Mets. Losing Spencer Strider now is a vital loss. However, could there be some upside here?
If Spencer Strider’s injury stay is not prolonged, this could be a valuable rest period for the young right-hander. Grinding one’s way through an entire 162 game season is difficult. Strider could realistically return ahead of the playoffs after receiving needed rest. Again, this stint on the IL will only be beneficial if he is able to return ahead of the playoffs. But his timetable has not been confirmed as of yet.
We will continue to monitor updates on Spencer Strider’s status.
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