He is hoping to return from the injured list this week, but he understands the Braves need to weigh several factors before making that call. With the team currently in the middle of a demanding stretch of 17 games in 17 days, they must consider how activating him might impact the bullpen.
“I believe I can help us win if I’m out there,” He said. “But the decision isn’t mine.”
He isn’t among the Braves’ four listed starters for this week’s series against the Nationals, which begins Monday. One potential scenario is having him pitch Friday against the Red Sox at Fenway Park, a move that would also give Chris Sale an extra day of rest.
The Braves will likely monitor how many pitches Sale throws in Sunday’s game in Pittsburgh and assess bullpen usage during the Nationals series before deciding whether to activate Strider or have him make a rehab start first.
Strider threw a 40-plus-pitch bullpen session on Saturday and reported no issues with his strained right hamstring. However, he hasn’t pitched since April 16, when he returned from elbow surgery and threw 97 pitches over five innings in Toronto.
He tweaked the hamstring five days later while playing catch ahead of a scheduled start against the Cardinals.
With no off days since May 1 and another week before their next break, the Braves might benefit from using a six-man rotation. Still, they have to consider whether Strider is ready to go deep enough into a game to avoid overburdening the bullpen.
“I feel ready, but it’s been three weeks since I last pitched,” Strider said. “I won’t be surprised if the team wants to be cautious. I’ve told them I’m available, and now it’s in their hands.”
Adding Strider to the roster presents another challenge. The only relievers with minor league options are Daysbel Hernández and Dylan Lee, but both are key bullpen arms. Long reliever Scott Blewett, who delivered two scoreless innings in Saturday’s 11-inning win and another two in a prior extra-inning game, has likely solidified his spot as well.
The Braves are carefully considering all angles as they look forward to getting Strider back in the rotation consistently. The righty, who led MLB in strikeouts from 2022 to 2023, was a Cy Young contender before suffering a season-ending elbow injury in just his second start of 2024.
Strider’s quick recovery from elbow surgery took just a year, and his hamstring rehab was accelerated by a platelet-poor plasma injection he received on April 23, two days after the setback.
Be the first to comment