Braves place – Spencer Strider’s night at Citi Field ended early after a velocity drop and rough fourth inning, and the Atlanta Braves followed through on Saturday by placing him on the 15-day injured list with right elbow inflammation. The move also triggered a recall for A
When Spencer Strider’s fastball dipped into the 87-to-89 mph range in the fourth inning at Citi Field, it wasn’t just a bad stretch—it was the kind of warning that makes an entire rotation flinch. By the time Atlanta removed him from the game, the damage had already piled up.
Strider was placed on the 15-day injured list on Saturday with right elbow inflammation. a setback announced by the Braves on their official X account early Saturday morning. The timing landed hard because of what came next: another rotation problem for Atlanta. now carrying long-term concern because of Strider’s elbow history.
The Braves’ move came after the 2023 MLB All-Star exited Friday’s series opener against the New York Mets at Citi Field following a velocity drop and a rough fourth inning. During that fourth, Strider’s fastball sat well below the mid-90s velocity that usually defines his arsenal. The velocity change mattered—especially with the Mets adding to the damage.
Strider allowed seven earned runs in total, including a grand slam to Bo Bichette, before the Braves pulled him. Manager Walt Weiss, pitching coach Jeremy Hefner, and trainer George Poulis visited Strider after he issued a six-pitch walk. Moments later, Atlanta ended his night and turned to the bullpen.
The diagnosis that followed didn’t let it fade into the background as ordinary soreness. The language shifted to right elbow inflammation, a wording that carries weight for a pitcher with a surgical past. Strider previously underwent Tommy John surgery at Clemson in 2019. He later required an internal brace repair on his right UCL in April 2024. leaving any elbow issue hard to dismiss as temporary.
The Braves, already working around injury realities of their own, now must wait for further testing while hoping the diagnosis doesn’t become season-altering. Atlanta is also managing Ronald Acuna Jr.’s hamstring injury, stretching a core built for a championship push.
Saturday’s roster moves were immediate. The Braves recalled RHP Anthony Molina to Atlanta and placed RHP Spencer Strider on the 15-day injured list with right elbow inflammation. They also said C Drake Baldwin begins a rehabilitation assignment tonight with Triple-A Gwinnett.
For the day-to-day needs, Molina provides a fresh arm. For the longer arc, Baldwin’s rehab offers encouragement. But the Strider injury—on top of the velocity drop that came in the fourth against the Mets and the elbow inflammation that followed—defines what the Braves are really searching for right now: rotation answers. and time they may not be able to spare.
Spencer Strider Atlanta Braves injury list right elbow inflammation Anthony Molina Drake Baldwin Triple-A Gwinnett New York Mets Citi Field