Spencer Strider left his start against the New York Mets with what the Atlanta Braves described as “right arm soreness”. While the Braves hope to avoid the worst-case scenario, they’ve placed the right-hander on the 15-day injured list for the time being. Right-hander Anthony Molina was called up from Triple-A Gwinnett as the corresponding move.
Strider’s velocity significantly dropped as the game went on, a troubling sign for any pitcher. He averaged 95.7 in the first inning, then steadily dropped down. By the fourth inning, he was at 88.7 MPH. That led to the right-hander’s exit from the game.
Manager Walt Weiss told reporters, including the Atlanta Journal-Constitution‘s Chad Bishop, that the right-hander felt pain in his shoulder and elbow in the fourth inning. Strider will undergo an MRI to determine the extent of the injury. Weiss said it’s not looking great at this time, per Atlanta Braves On SI’s Harrison Smajovits, which means they’re bracing for potentially devastating results.
Spencer Strider Suffers Another Tough Injury
GettyNEW YORK, NEW YORK – JUNE 12: Spencer Strider #99 of the Atlanta Braves walks off the field after being removed from the game during the fourth inning against the New York Mets at Citi Field on June 12, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by Dustin Satloff/Getty Images)
The latest injury is tough news for Spencer Strider. The right-hander has had to reinvent himself after experiencing a velocity drop in 2025, after recovering from an internal brace procedure. Once a flamethrower who dominated with a fastball and slider combination, he operates more in the mid-90s with a four-pitch mix.
An oblique strain suffered in Spring Training delayed his first start of the season to May 3. In his first seven starts to the season, he went 4-1 with a 4.00 ERA and a 27.9% strikeout rate.
But then he got hammered for seven runs in three-plus innings against the Mets, before leaving the game with an arm injury. Should Strider need arm surgery, it would be the second time in three seasons the right-hander went under the knife. In that scenario, his return won’t be until at least the All-Star break in 2027 at the earliest.
Strider is under contract through the 2028 season. While the Braves will get their money’s worth on the contract, they face the possibility of losing two seasons to injuries under that deal.
Braves Rotation Without Spencer Strider
In the immediate aftermath, the Braves will be without Spencer Strider for at least the next two turns through the rotation. However, based on Weiss’ comments, it will likely be a much longer stint than 15 days.
Fortunately, they already have an internal replacement ready to assume that spot. Rookie right-hander JR Ritchie pitched five scoreless innings of long relief to close out the game. Ritchie threw 73 pitches, so he’s stretched out enough to start in the next turn through the rotation. That spot comes up again on June 18, when the Braves host the San Francisco Giants at Truist Park.
The Braves also had one of their starting pitcher options come off the injured list recently. Hurston Waldrep was reinstated before the game and optioned to Triple-A. However, he is not an option for the next 15 days, as the club called up Molina to replace Strider on the roster.
Atlanta is in decent shape to weather a Strider injury for now. However, they’ll need some good news on some of their other injured starters. Spencer Schwellenbach is slowly recovering from a fractured elbow, and A.J. Smith-Shawver is progressing from Tommy John surgery. Neither pitcher seems like they’ll return before the August 3 trade deadline.
With the Strider injury, the Braves could be looking for rotation help as they try to shore up. home-field advantage for the postseason.
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