Braves pitcher Spencer Strider out for season after elbow surgery, team announces

ATLANTA — Atlanta Braves star pitcher Spencer Strider is out for the rest of the 2024 season after undergoing elbow surgery on Friday.

The team announced on X, formerly known as Twitter, on Saturday morning that Strider had surgery to repair the ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow with internal brace in Arlington, Texas.

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They say he will miss the rest of the season as he recovers.

Strider left the team’s home opener last week complaining about his elbow. An MRI revealed damage to the elbow, which brought his future for the season into question.

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Braves Manager Brian Snitker told Channel 2 Sports Anchor Alison Mastrangelo that he feels bad for someone who is such a great teammate and is “dedicated to his craft.”

Strider lasted only four innings in the home opener, allowing five runs on seven hits. He recorded four strikeouts and struggled with control, walking three batters in Atlanta’s 6-5 win over Arizona in 10 innings.

Strider was 20-5 in 2023 as he led the majors in wins. His 281 strikeouts also were the most in the big leagues.

The right-hander had a 3.86 ERA last season but his ERA is 7.00 after two starts this year.

Possible candidates to replace him in the rotation include Bryce Elder and A.J. Smith-Shawver. Elder was 12-4 with a 3.81 ERA and earned a spot on the NL All-Star team last season but was beaten out by Reynaldo López for the final spot in the rotation during spring training.

The Associated Press contributed to this article.

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