Spencer Strider
Breakdown
Performance
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April 29, 2026
Making season debut Sunday
Strider (oblique) will return from the 15-day injured list to start Sunday's game against the Rockies at Coors Field, Mark Bowman of MLB.com reports.
Analysis
Strider's left oblique checked out fine following his third and final minor-league rehab start last Sunday with Triple-A Gwinnett, setting the stage for the right-hander to make his 2026 debut with the big club. The 27-year-old gets a less-than-ideal landing spot for his first start with Atlanta in hitter-friendly Colorado, but he should be in line for relatively standard workload. He upped his pitch count to 82 and covered five innings in his final rehab outing.
April 28, 2026
Rejoining rotation this weekend
Atlanta manager Walt Weiss said Tuesday that Strider (oblique) will be activated from the 15-day injured list to make his season debut this weekend in Colorado, Grant McAuley of the Marietta Daily Journal reports.
Analysis
A report earlier Tuesday said that Strider would make one more rehab start, but that turned out to be inaccurate. Weiss did not reveal the specific day Strider would make his season debut, but if he pitches on four days' rest as he has been on his rehab assignment, he'd start Friday. Strider threw 82 pitches over five innings Sunday with Triple-A Gwinnett, so he should be ready for a relatively normal workload against the Rockies. He's missed the first month of the season with a left oblique strain.
April 28, 2026
Not starting this weekend
Strider (oblique) isn't expected to be activated from the 15-day injured list to make his season debut this weekend in Colorado and could instead continue his rehab in the minor leagues, Lindsay Crosby of BravesToday.com reports.
Analysis
Strider threw 82 pitches over five innings Sunday for Triple-A Gwinnett in his third rehab start, and he's apparently not quite ready to enter the big-league rotation after previously being expected to face the Rockies this weekend. No setback has been reported, so it's possible Atlanta just wants to avoid the right-hander making his season debut at the hitter-friendly confines of Coors Field. Strider's first MLB start of 2026 now appears likely to come next week on the road against either the Mariners or Dodgers.
April 27, 2026
Piles up seven Ks in rehab start
Strider (oblique) struck out seven and allowed two earned runs on four hits and two walks across five innings Sunday in a rehab start for Triple-A Gwinnett.
Analysis
In what was likely the third and final start of his rehab assignment, Strider delivered another strong outing to convince Atlanta that he's ready to return from the 15-day injured list. The 27-year-old built up to 82 pitches (50 strikes) Sunday, inducing 16 whiffs while maxing out at 96.9 miles per hour with his fastball. Assuming his oblique checks out fine following his next bullpen session, Strider will tentatively line up to make his season debut with Atlanta during its upcoming weekend series in Colorado.