The Atlanta Braves announced Saturday morning that Spencer Strider will miss the remainder of the 2024 season after undergoing surgery to repair the ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow with an internal fixator.
Spencer retired from his last start for the Braves on April 5 after four innings due to elbow discomfort. His velocity decreased through 88 pitches (averaging 95.9 mph, down from 97.2 mph in 2023).
An MRI scan the next day revealed an injury to the ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow. Dallas orthopedic surgeon Dr. Keith Meister further evaluated Strider's elbow and concluded that surgery was the best treatment.
Braves manager Brian Snitker: “It wasn't good'' told reporters Regarding the MRI results on April 6th.
As CBS Sports' Mike Axisa explained last year, going the internal correction route over Tommy John surgery requires a shorter rehabilitation period.
Internal fixation, a relatively new procedure, is an alternative to Tommy John surgery when the tear is close to the bone. Although internal corrective surgery is much less invasive than Tommy John surgery and has a shorter rehabilitation period, it is still quite time-consuming.
The Braves are currently in first place in the National League East with 8 wins and 4 losses, but will be without their ace until next season. Strider finished 2023 with a 20-5 record with 281 strikeouts and finished fourth in National League Cy Young Award voting.
“[Strider] He’s very passionate about his craft,” Snitker said. “He loves everything about this. He does everything right, from being a great teammate to being dedicated. I really hate this because he enjoys it so much.”
Strider became the latest MLB pitcher to suffer an arm injury this season. Gerrit Cole of the New York Yankees, Sonny Gray of the St. Louis Cardinals, Justin Verlander of the Houston Astros and Josiah Gray of the Washington Nationals are among the pitchers who missed the start of the season or were placed on injured reserve. included. .
Strider joins a list of pitchers leaving Shane Bieber of the Cleveland Guardians, Sandy Alcantara and Yuri Perez of the Miami Marlins, and Lucas Giolito of the Boston Red Sox until next season.
