The Atlanta Braves are coming off their first series win of the season and have hopes that they can keep the momentum going heading into a weekend set against the Tampa Bay Rays. It helps that the team is getting healthier: Atlanta welcomed back starting catcher Sean Murphy this past week and the former All-Star provided a much needed offensive spark.
The Braves are now getting closer to being at full strength, with ace Spencer Strider wrapping up his rehab assignment on a high note. In the righty's last outing, he sure looked MLB-ready, going 5.1 innings and surrendering only one hit and while striking out 13.
Spencer Strider just struck out 13 of the 21 batters he faced on 90 pitches... Chat, is that good?
— Gwinnett Stripers (@GoStripers) April 10, 2025
5.1 IP | 3 H | 1 ER | 2 BB | 13 SO pic.twitter.com/3MDs4zZArV
But as promising as that line sounds, there still is one potential concern.
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Spencer Strider's velocity still isn't what it was pre-injury
Part of what makes Strider so effective when he is at his best is his blazing fastball, one that can consistently reach triple digits on the radar gun. The combination of such a lively fastball and explosive breaking stuff makes him nearly unhittable at times.
Some Braves fans will express concern when they hear Strider’s velocity update. When breaking down Strider’s last rehab start, The Athletic's David O’Brien shared that Strider’s fastball was sitting between 93-95 mph in the fifth inning. This is a significant drop from where he was in 2023, when he was a 20-game winner and finished fourth in NL Cy Young Award voting.
Could this be a problem when Strider makes his big-league return? Maybe, but it is not likely. With the ride on Strider's fastball and his wipeout slider, he can afford to lose a little bit of velocity and still be one of the best arms in the league. There is also the chance that Strider is trying to leave some in the tank and not put too much pressure on that arm following an UCL injury and surgery.
It is natural for Braves fans to worry about anything that does not feel normal given how 2024 went and how 2025 started in regards to injury and underperformance. However, any questions about Strider’s velocity is just sheer panic and fans can expect Strider to return as an ace in their starting rotation.