Spencer Strider Injury Exposes Braves’ Biggest Offseason Mistake

NORTH PORT – The Atlanta Braves played with fire all offseason with their pitching rotation. If losing Spencer Schwellenbach and Hurston Waldrep to various elbow ailments and pre-season surgeries were a burn, then losing Spencer Strider to an oblique injury should land them in the burn ward of Grady Hospital. 

The flames were flickering all offseason, and Braves president of baseball operations Alex Anthopoulos spent the buildup to spring training discussing his desire to add a “playoff starter” to the rotation. In the time since, his club has lost three projected front-line starters and replaced them with no one. After already operating in the negative, the Braves have continued to move in the wrong direction. 

MLB Insider Jon Heyman made this impassioned plea with the Braves, writing this on social media on Monday morning. 

“Braves absolutely need to sign Lucas Giolito now. Spencer Strider is the latest loss, hitting the IL with an oblique. Other recent hits: (Schwellenbach, Waldrep, Wentz, Profar). And since they are owned by a public company, we know they make a huge profit.” 

The money from Jurickson Profar’s suspension became available late last week, and Atlanta could use that to fortify their rotation with a competent arm. 

Unfortunately for the Braves, the season starts on Friday. Giolito, who remains a free agent that the team can sign, has not pitched all spring. He would likely need several weeks to stretch out and be ready to make regular-season starts. 

Whether it was indecisiveness by Anthopoulos or the unwillingness of Liberty Media to spend, the Braves’ failure to add a starter to an already depleted rotation may cost them games this season. What they will opt to send out is chock-full of risk. 

Former Cy Young Chris Sale is set to make the Opening Day start for Atlanta, but he will soon turn 37. 2024 breakout star Reynaldo López will make his highly anticipated return to the mound on Saturday, while 2025 breakout star Grant Holmes will follow him up. Both are making returns from season-ending injuries, but after them, the Braves will be left with even more question marks. 

As of now, the full extent of Strider’s oblique injury is not known, but it is the latest in what has been an injury-plagued several years for the pitcher. 

Bryce Elder will likely pick up the ball as the fourth member of the staff, but who comes next will need to be answered soon. Fortunately, the Braves are not totally devoid of options. Dider Fuentes is on the big-league roster, but will be expected to occupy a long-reliever role in the early parts of the season. Fellow upstart JR Ritche could also be in line for some starts after delivering a 2.25 ERA, 0.58 WHIP, and 14 strikeouts across 12 innings pitched this spring.

Perhaps an offensive revival from a lineup led by a “200% healthy” Ronald Acuña Jr., Austin Riley, Matt Olson, Ozzie Albies, Michael Harris II, etc., will be enough to cover up any issues with the rotation.

Or maybe the Braves are hoping they will only need to plug the holes for a few weeks while Strider returns – even though these injuries can be pretty tricky to come back from. If Strider is to miss a prolonged period, it is long past time that the Braves look to backfill with options outside of the organization and put out the fire once and for all. 

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