Spencer Strider Injury Could Lead To Desperate Braves-Cardinals Trade

Atlanta Braves ace Spencer Strider recently made his triumphant return from elbow surgery and looked pretty solid in the process. Despite recording the loss, Strider tossed five innings of two run baseball in his season debut last week.

But the Braves recently lost him to the 15-day injured list on Monday evening following a strained hamstring that he suffered in catch play.

What does this have to do with the St. Louis Cardinals?

The Cardinals could be the beneficiaries of this injury.

With Strider headed for the injured list and the Braves already a few games under .500, Atlanta could be quick to turn to the trade market to bring in a new starting pitcher. Atlanta can't afford to get 10 or 15 games under .500 this season or else it runs the risk of missing the postseason.

Who has a few veteran starting pitchers they could trade? The Cardinals do.

Erick Fedde and Sonny Gray are two Cardinals pitchers that could be traded this season. Between the two, Fedde is much more likely to be traded due to his small, expiring contract. The righty is set to pitch against the Braves on Monday night. This start could seem a bit like a tryout with a potential trade in the future.

Either way, the Braves need to go after a starting pitcher. With Strider on the IL, he's set to miss at least two or three starts, if not more. The Braves can't afford too many more starts of Bryce Elder. If the injury nags on for longer than two weeks, the Braves could be in deep trouble.

One trade with the Cardinals could fix this issue.