NEWSLETTER
It felt like this is where the ominous news was trending, and now it has indeed happened: Atlanta Braves ace Spencer Strider had to have what amounts to Tommy John-like surgery.
The team made the announcement this morning:
For Strider, 25, that’s his second UCL surgery in five years, which seems bad. Hopefully he can return at some point in 2025 – a lot of guys have had plenty of success post-second-Tommy-John – and all that’s lost is time. Whether I’m a Braves fan or not, I don’t like to see the game’s best young stars out of action.
Strider’s injury, amid many other high-profile arm injuries early in this year, led to a whole lot of discourse about the UCL crisis in baseball, and this surgery won’t quiet those concerns.
As for the competitive impact, it is probably quite significant. Strider is one of the best pitchers in baseball, and although the Braves are still loaded even without him, you can’t lose one of the best pitchers in baseball and not feel an impact. The Braves will remain the strong favorite in the NL East, though the door is probably now cracked just a bit more for the Phillies (maaaybe the Mets, but probably not). Moreover, the potential playoff impact is significant, since aces in the playoffs are disproportionately valuable.
