The Atlanta Braves got a great update on pitcher Spencer Strider heading into the playoffs. Strider, a rookie, was one of the best stories in baseball this season.
The added rest thanks to an NL East division victory should be enough time to allow Strider back on the mound in a best-of-5 playoff series. Strider’s been out since Sept. 18 with an oblique strain, but that should chain by the start of the NLDS.
David O’Brien of The Athletic revealed that Strider had a positive throwing session, which will lead to the Braves ramping up his rehab in preparation for their first playoff series.
“He said it felt good. And I said, ‘Good thing,’” Brian Snitker said, per The Athletic. “He didn’t get off the mound. He just did flat ground. So we’ll know more when they get him off the mound. But the flat ground went good.”
Braves get positive update on Spencer Strider
Atlanta will go with a three-man rotation to start their series against either the Cardinals or Padres. Those three are more than likely to be Max Fried, Kyle Wright and then either Charlie Morton or Strider if he’s ready. That’s a stable rotation for a best-of-5 set.
“Spence felt good again today,” Snitker said. “Continuing his progression. It’ll be kind of interesting to see when he gets on the hill (throws off the mound). He hasn’t done that yet, but he feels great. Playing the catch was good, so that’s very, very positive, and something that could be really big for us come Monday.”
Monday is when the Braves will finalize their NLDS roster, making it all the more important that Snitker and Atlanta see more progress in Strider’s recovery before then.
Strider was one of the more dominant pitchers in all of baseball this past season, his first. He posted an 11-5 record, paired with a 2.67 ERA and 202 strikeouts.