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Spencer Strider aces final start before rejoining Braves

Originally posted on SportsTalkATL | By Chase Irle | Last updated Apr 10, 2025 6:21 PM ET

In about an hour, the Braves will take the field behind Spencer Schwellenbach, hoping to win their first series of the season in a rubber match against the Philadelphia Phillies . It’s an opportunity to build some much-needed momentum after a rough start to April, which, coupled with the performance by Spencer Strider Thursday afternoon, could be the spark that gets the Braves going.

Down with Gwinnett, Strider was making his third appearance after tossing 5.1 hitless innings with eight strikeouts last week in just 75 pitches. The goal today was to get him to 90 pitches, and he succeeded, tying a Stripers record for punch outs with 13 and allowing just one run over 5.1 innings.

Spencer Strider just struck out 13 of the 21 batters he faced on 90 pitches… Chat, is that good?

5.1 IP | 3 H | 1 ER | 2 BB | 13 SO pic.twitter.com/3MDs4zZArV

— Gwinnett Stripers (@GoStripers) April 10, 2025

Spencer Strider has been downright dominant in all three starts with Gwinnett, and it doesn’t even seem like he’s going full throttle just yet. Brian Snitker wouldn’t fully commit to Strider starting next week for the Braves, but there’s little doubt he’ll rejoin the team and make his first start since injuring his UCL this time last year.

Brian Snitker said Spencer Strider is right where they wanted him to be. They'll assess how he's feeling after a dominant start on Thursday and determine what's next for Strider, who could rejoin #Braves in Toronto and start Tuesday or Wednesday.

— Grant McAuley (@grantmcauley) April 10, 2025

The only question now is who Spencer Strider replaces on the roster. Most likely, it will be Bryce Elder, but AJ Smith-Shawver hasn’t exactly lit the world on fire like the Braves hoped he would when they selected him for the Opening Day roster. I would guess he’ll get a little bit longer of a leash to prove himself, but whether you like it or not, we haven’t seen the last of Bryce Elder this season. He could play a major role in the success of the Braves as the year continues.

This article first appeared on SportsTalkATL and was syndicated with permission.

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