Worst-case scenario arrives for Braves with Spencer Strider

Every Atlanta Braves fan was waiting with bated breath about the long-term outlook for staff ace Spencer Strider, who was placed on the 15-day IL with an elbow injury on April 7. Even with the short-term injury designation, the concern about the imaging done on the elbow thereafter from manager Brian Snitker and the media was palpable and had most expecting the worst.

And now worst-case scenario has arrived for Strider and the Braves.

On Saturday, it was reported that Strider will miss the rest of the 2024 season after undergoing surgery to repair his ulnar collateral ligament with an internal braces, per Justin Toscano of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Braves lose Spencer Strider for the season after elbow surgery

Strider entered the 2024 Braves season as the favorite to win the NL Cy Young award after leading the league in strikeouts a season ago. That won't come to fruition, obviously, as he made just two starts before suffering the elbow injury, which has sparked a wide-ranging discussion about the current and unfortunate ballooning numbers of pitcher injuries, specifically with the elbow.

But beyond that, this is obviously a devastating blow for the Braves. Atlanta recalled Allan Winans to take Strider's spot in the rotation once he was placed on the IL initially. But Max Fried, Friday night's start and win against Miami aside, has struggled to start the year. Chris Sale has been good but injuries remain a worry there. Reynaldo Lopez has looked sharp but remains fully unproven as a starter. And Charlie Morton is the 40-year-old veteran, no more, no less.

Not having Strider in that mix significantly lowers the ceiling for the Braves rotation in a massive way. Winans is fine, but perhaps this could push Atlanta to more aggressive scour the trade market, whether at the top end or low end, for a replacement. Or perhaps it could accelerate the timeline on guys like AJ Smith-Shawver or Hurtson Waldrep. Or, hear me out, 2023 All-Star Bryce Elder could make his return to the rotation.

While a trade could make sense, especially with Alex Anthopoulous' success in that regard, the Braves may be better off with any of Elder, Smith-Shawever or Waldrep. The Strider injury comes as many fans already expect that Fried is gone in free agency after this season, so working with in-house options to develop and be ready to step in for Fried could have positive long-term ramifications.

The Braves are still going to be good. The rotation, even sans Strider, is good even if not great anymore. The lineup remains one of baseball's best. But none of that makes the loss of the ace any easier to swallow.