Atlanta Braves ace Spencer Strider has been placed on the 15-day injured list, the team announced Monday. Per multiple reports, he pulled his right hamstring playing catch before the team’s matchup with the St. Louis Cardinals. The move is retroactive to April 18th. Right-hander Michael Petersen was recalled from Triple-A Gwinnett in a corresponding move.
The #Braves today recalled RHP Michael Petersen to Atlanta and placed RHP Spencer Strider on the 15-day injured list, backdated to April 18, with a strained right hamstring.
— Atlanta Braves (@Braves) April 21, 2025
Spencer Strider Injured in Big Blow to Braves Rotation
All injuries are unfortunate, but the timing of this one feels especially cruel for Strider. “Quadzilla” made his season debut just last Wednesday in a nearly year-long return from an internal brace procedure. The former fourth-place Cy Young Award finisher showed both some rust and flashes of his dominant self. He recorded five strikeouts while allowing just one walk and two earned runs in five innings. Strider was set to make his home debut Tuesday against the Cardinals. The Braves have yet to announce a replacement starter for that game.
The return of Strider was expected to stabilize a rotation in flux. Last year’s ace and defending Cy Young winner Chris Sale has stumbled to a 6.17 ERA in his first five starts. Reynaldo López will miss most, if not all of the season after arthroscopic shoulder surgery. The rotation was already thin entering the season, as the Braves failed to sign replacements for offseason departures Max Fried and Charlie Morton. Now, the lack of depth is more alarming than ever.
A timetable hasn’t been announced yet for Strider’s return, but the hope is that it will be a brief IL stint. The good news is that this injury is unrelated to the elbow that sidelined him for nearly a year. In the meantime, the Braves may opt to recall AJ Smith-Shawver for a few spot starts, or go with some bullpen games. Either way, Spencer Strider’s presence will be missed until he is ready to make his true return to the mound.
Photo Credit: © John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images
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