Spencer Strider’s injury only adds to Braves rotation concerns

Atlanta Braves pitcher Spencer Strider is facing an oblique strain, and it’s worse than the team initially thought. He’ll be out for the rest of the regular season.

Atlanta Braves pitcher Spencer Strider is facing an oblique strain, and it’s worse than the team initially thought. He’s been placed on the 15-day injured list, which reportedly goes back to Sept. 21. With only 11 games left of the regular season for the Braves, Strider will be out for the rest of the season.

According to Dave O’Brien of The Athletic, they also reinstated Ehire Adrianza and optioned Rylan Bannon.

Strider’s absence will be a tough one to stomach. He’s been a great starter the latter half of the season, undoubtedly one of the bests on the team. In 31 games and 20 starts, he’s produced an ERA of 2.67, batting average against of .180 and WHIP of 0.99.

In general, Atlanta has one of the best rotations in the national league. Among all teams, they have the fifth-best ERA (3.47), fourth-best opponent batting average (.226) and eighth-best WHIP (1.19). Strider’s stint on the IL could impact the Braves’ shot at postseason success.

Add in the injuries they’re already facing in Mike Soroka and Ian Anderson, and Atlanta’s rotation depth will be tested.

Braves pitcher Spencer Strider’s IL stint could hurt the chance of postseason success

The defending World Series champions have been chasing the New York Mets closely for the top spot in the NL East division standings. They’re just 2.5 games behind, but the team is unfortunately facing changes that may slow them down.

They’re still guaranteed a spot in the playoffs, but with some of the impact players not being in full health, the team could have a downfall. Slugger Ronald Acuña Jr. has avoided the injured list, but he’s playing through pain from his knee injury. Acuña is determined to continue to help the team, but his performance has noticeably been hurting from the injury.

Matt Olson, who was Freddie Freeman’s replacement, has also been in a massive slump this season. Though his hitting hasn’t been consistent each season, he’s had some exceptional seasons and this isn’t one of them. With the Braves, he’s hit .233/.319/.451 for an OPS of .770. He also has an alarmingly high strikeout percentage of 24.1.

Luckily, the Braves have plenty of power hitters and reliable starting pitchers. They will still likely do well in the postseason. FanGraphs projects them as the fourth-most likely team to win the World Series, so they undoubtedly still have talent. However, their success may be hindered without a few key players in full health and some just flat out underperforming.