Braves Get Bad News on All-Star Pitcher - Again

The concerns lit up the radar gun, one pitch at a time. The first pitch Spencer Strider threw against the New York Mets on June 12 was a 95.8-mph fastball.

By the fourth inning, the pitch was topping out at 94.2. In the fourth inning, Strider threw three fastballs, none faster than 89.6.

The cause for concern was so obvious, Strider was removed from the game after throwing ball four, a slider in the dirt, to MJ Melendez after he completed three innings. Next up: a trip to the MRI machine.

More news:Braves Announce Death of Hall of Fame Manager

Three days later, the other shoe dropped: Strider was going on the injured list and would not be cleared to throw for four weeks.

The Braves announced that Strider met with Dr. Keith Meister and would undergo a follow-up MRI after four weeks of no throwing. If that scan goes well, Strider can begin a throwing progression. But at this point, the Braves are in no place to hope for the best.

Strider underwent a traditional Tommy John surgery on his right elbow in 2019 while still in college. He rebounded from that procedure to become a flamethrowing 20-game winner and an All-Star in 2023.

But the following summer, the surgically replaced UCL in his elbow tore again. This time, he underwent an internal brace procedure, a modified form of the traditional elbow surgery. Meister, who performed the surgery, apparently doesn’t believe Strider needs another procedure on his troublesome elbow - yet.

More news:Former Cubs, Braves Outfielder Dies

The prescription of rest and rehabilitation doesn’t always work. Optimistically, the Braves will get Strider back for the stretch run as they look to nail down their first National League East title since 2023 - Strider’s last fully healthy season.

Through June 14 the Braves are 46-25, the best record in MLB and eight games ahead of the second-place Philadelphia Phillies in the NL East.

More news:Former Braves All-Star, Rookie of the Year, Dies

Pessimistically, the root cause of Strider’s inflammation was serious enough to cause an abrupt dip in his velocity in his last start. The time off is lengthy, and comes with no guarantee of a return to full health.

Strider, 27, is 4-2 with a 5.31 ERA in eight starts this season. The Braves will turn to JR Ritchie in the meantime, while hoping their one-time ace gets all the rest he needs.

For more MLB news, visit Newsweek Sports.

2026 NEWSWEEK DIGITAL LLC.

This story was originally published June 15, 2026 at 3:01 PM.