Atlanta Braves ace Spencer Strider will miss the remainder of the season after undergoing surgery to repair the ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow, the team said Saturday.
Dr. Keith Meister in Arlington, Texas, performed the procedure Friday, using an internal brace to repair the UCL.
Strider complained of discomfort in his elbow after pitching four innings in Atlanta’s 6-5 win over Arizona on April 5. An MRI the next day revealed damage to his UCL, and the Braves prepared for the worst.
“You never expect these things to be good or just a blip on the screen,” manager Brian Snitker said last week.
Strider was 20-5 in 2023 and led the majors in wins and strikeouts (281). The right-hander had a 3.86 ERA last season.
He had a 7.00 ERA with 12 strikeouts in two starts this year.
The 25-year-old Strider joins a list of great pitchers who have suffered significant injuries this season.
Cleveland’s Shane Bieber, Jonathan Loáisiga of the New York Yankees, Miami’s Eury Pérez and Oakland’s Trevor Gott are among the pitchers with elbow injuries.