Calling the start of the 2025 MLB season “rough” for the Atlanta Braves would be putting it mildly. Wins have been hard to come by — unless Mother Nature intervenes — and hopes for a quick turnaround are beginning to fade. But in the middle of this rocky stretch, Braves fans finally have a reason to feel optimistic: Spencer Strider is almost back.
The electric right-hander has been steadily working his way through a difficult recovery following UCL surgery on his throwing elbow last April. Atlanta has been cautious with his rehab — and rightfully so — but after three stellar rehab starts, it looks like Strider is ready to return to the big league rotation.
Strider’s Comeback Offers a Bright Spot for Braves Fans
Strider has been lights-out during his time in the minors, capping his rehab with a dominant performance at Triple-A Gwinnett. In what appears to be his final outing before rejoining the Braves, he struck out 13 batters while allowing just one run and three hits over 5.1 innings in a 6-1 win over Norfolk. According to Mark Bowman of MLB.com, the 26-year-old also hit his pitch count goal, reaching 90 pitches.
Spencer Strider
If that was his final tune-up, Strider will finish his Triple-A stint with a 1-0 record, a 1.32 ERA, 0.73 WHIP, and an eye-popping 27 strikeouts to just 5 walks across 13.2 innings — showing every bit of the Cy Young-caliber talent he displayed before the injury.
Strider’s return couldn’t come at a better time. With Reynaldo López recently moved to the 60-day IL due to a shoulder injury — and not expected back until at least July — the Braves are in desperate need of a rotation boost.
Given that Strider led the majors with a combined 483 strikeouts across 2022 and 2023, his return is more than just good news — it’s a potential game-changer for a Braves team trying to claw its way out of a brutal start.
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