MRI shows damage to Braves ace Spencer Strider’s elbow, leaving season in doubt

The Atlanta Braves placed ace right-hander Spencer Strider on the 15-day injured list on Sunday and recalled right-hander Allan Winans from Triple-A Gwinnett.

The move was expected after an MRI on Saturday revealed a sprained ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow. No decision on possible season-ending Tommy John surgery is expected before Strider is evaluated further by Dr. Keith Meister in Arlington, Texas, at a date to be determined.

“You hate that,” Braves manager Brian Snitker said. “You hate it for him. I feel really bad for him. I mean, the kid does everything right. Loves to compete. … We’ll just wait and see what they decide to do. … I’m sure they’ll have something in a few days.”

Strider complained about discomfort in his elbow after pitching four innings, allowing five runs on seven hits, in Atlanta’s 6-5 win over Arizona on Friday night.

Snitker said Strider did not mention the problem with his elbow until after the game.

Snitker acknowledged he braced for bad news from Saturday’s MRI.

“You never expect these things to be good or just a blip on the screen,” Snitker said, adding UCL injuries that often lead to season-ending Tommy John surgery are a problem across baseball.

The Cleveland Guardians announced Saturday that ace Shane Bieber will have Tommy John surgery, ending his season.

“They’re throwing harder than ever and spinning the ball more than ever,” Snitker said, adding Strider’s long-term prospects remain bright.

“The good news is he’ll get whatever it is fixed and come back and have a really good career,” Snitker said.

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Strider was 20-5 in 2023, leading the majors in wins. His 281 strikeouts also were the most in the big leagues.

The right-hander had a 3.86 ERA last season. His ERA is 7.00 after two starts this year.

Winans was 1-2 with a 5.29 ERA in six starts with Atlanta last season and was expected to be a part of Gwinnett’s rotation. The Braves have not said if Winans will at least temporarily fill Strider’s spot in the Atlanta rotation.

Reporting by The Associated Press.

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