Atlanta Braves could have silver lining in Spencer Strider setback
By Kevin Henry
While Spencer Strider is dealing with a sore oblique that will cause him to miss his scheduled start for the Atlanta Braves on Wednesday against the Washington Nationals, there could be a silver lining for Braves fans with a potentially division-altering series on the horizon.
The one positive that Atlanta Braves fans can potentially take away from Spencer Strider missing a scheduled start with a sore oblique
While Strider may be sidelined at the moment, the sore oblique is not seen as something that could cause the 23-year-old right-hander to land on the injured list, avoiding what would be a big blow to the Atlanta Braves as they prepare for the postseason. Instead, Strider’s next start will be pushed back a few days to allow one of the leading candidates for the National League Rookie of the Year award time to heal and be 100 percent before taking the mound again.
Strider is currently 11-5 with a 2.67 ERA/1.83 FIP/0.995 WHIP and is averaging 13.8 strikeouts per nine innings. Earlier this season, he set a Braves franchise record by striking out 16 Colorado Rockies.
After finishing their series against Washington on Wednesday, the Braves head to Philadelphia for a four-game set with the Phillies before a return engagement with the Nationals in our nation’s capital. That, however, is the appetizer before perhaps the biggest series of the second half unfolds in Atlanta as the New York Mets pay a visit to Truist Field from September 30-October 2. The Mets lead the Braves by one game in the NL East heading into Tuesday’s action.
Depending on when Strider returns, it is possible that the Braves could slot him into the rotation to face the Mets along with Max Fried and Kyle Wright, giving Atlanta its top three pitchers potentially lining up to face their division rival in the biggest series of the season.
Strider will continue to play catch. The Braves didn’t want to take any chances. So, they’ll just insert him in the rotation at some point next week. Sets up the possibility of having Wright, Strider and Fried in the Mets series
— Mark Bowman (@mlbbowman) September 20, 2022
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While Braves fans hate to see Strider miss any time, the thought of him being 100 percent and being ready to face the Mets in the biggest series of the season certainly takes some of the sting away.