Spencer Strider's Season Debut Is Upon Us As Braves' Fast-Track Their Ace

Yeah, it seems like he's back, alright. All Spencer Strider did in his rehab start on Thursday was strike out 13 of the 21 batters he faced on 90 pitches with Gwinnett.

Next stop, the majors.

The Atlanta Braves have announced that, exactly one year after undergoing 'internal brace' elbow surgery, their ace will be with the team this coming week, and one projection has his season debut as soon as Wednesday.

Strider will come to Tampa to throw a side session on Sunday and then travel with the Braves to Toronto. Best guess is he’ll make his season debut on Wednesday
— Mark Bowman (@mlbbowman) April 11, 2025

Strider will throw a side session on Sunday and will travel with his Braves teammates to Toronto, where they take on the Blue Jays for a three-game set to start the week.

He pitched 5 1/3 innings in his rehab start Thursday, allowing one run and three hits. He threw 90 pitches, with 62 of them for strikes.

Spencer Strider just struck out 13 of the 21 batters he faced on 90 pitches... Chat, is that good?

5.1 IP | 3 H | 1 ER | 2 BB | 13 SO pic.twitter.com/3MDs4zZArV
— Gwinnett Stripers (@GoStripers) April 10, 2025

“I kind of feel like he’s right where we want him to be before he gets here,” Braves manager Brian Snitker said.

Strider last appeared in the majors on April 5, 2024, against the Arizona Diamondbacks in Atlanta in his 2nd start of the season. He left after four innings, and his elbow surgery was a week later.

In his All-Star 2023 campaign, the flamethrower led the major leagues with 20 wins (20-5), and in strikeouts, with 281, as well as K/9, at an astounding 13.5, while on his way to a 4th-place finish in Cy Young balloting.

He had burst onto the scene in 2022, with an even better strikeout rate, at 13.8 K/9, and finished 2nd in Rookie of the Year voting.

The Braves have struggled to start the 2025 season, with a 3-10 mark, in last place in the NL East. Strider's return will be a welcome sight for the team.