Spencer Strider is back on the bench.
Strider will begin the 2026 season on the injured list with an oblique strain, Braves manager Walt Weiss told reporters Monday, yet another setback in Strider’s young career.
“l think we’ve gotten out in front of this thing to a degree,” Weiss said of Strider’s designation. “So we’re hoping it’s not going to be a big deal.
“It’s hard for (Strider) to feel it, but it is there when he throws. There’s a chance, if he would have went out and made a start today, it would have set him back further.”
Strider was scratched from his start Monday against the Pirates. There’s currently no timetable for his return, though Weiss mentioned Atlanta hopes he can return in a few weeks.
Strider is not the only issue with the Braves’ rotation. Spencer Schwellenbach and Hurston Waldrep are both on the 60-day injured list, while Joey Wentz suffered a season-ending ACL tear. They retained 2024 Cy Young winner Chris Sale in free agency, but the rest of the rotation currently includes Reynaldo Lopez, Grant Holmes and Bryce Elder.
And it’s the third major injury Strider has faced in the last three years.
In 2024, he missed nearly the entire season after he hurt his UCL and underwent internal brace surgery. Last year, he was sidelined for the first six weeks of the season, and when he returned, he was not up to his past standard. Strider made 23 starts and finished with a 4.45 ERA and 131 strikeouts.
Atlanta hopes Strider can return to his 2023 form, though — the best year of his career. Strider led the league in wins (20), strikeouts (281) and FIP (2.85), while finishing with a 3.86 ERA. He finished fourth in the National League Cy Young Award voting and made the All-Star team.
Strider was in the midst of a hopeful spring training, going 2-0 with a 3.24 ERA over 8 1/3 innings.
The Braves faltered to fourth place in the NL East last year, ending the year at 76-86 and missing the playoffs. They fired manager Brian Snitker after the year and hired Weiss.
Their quest to return to the postseason is already off to a rough start in 2026 because of Strider and Co.’s injuries.
Besides the pitching staff, shortstop Ha-Seong Kim is sidelined with a hand injury he suffered while falling on ice in January. Outfielder Jurickson Profar will miss the entire season after testing positive for PEDs and receiving a suspension.