Everything has been going great for the Atlanta Braves this season, but they got some really concerning news on Saturday when starting pitcher Spencer Strider was put on the 15-day injured list. 

Strider was removed from Friday's start against the New York Mets due to right shoulder and elbow soreness.

Imaging revealed inflammation with his right elbow.

That is the last thing the Braves want to see with one of their top starting pitchers.

Spencer Strider has extensive history of arm issues for Braves

The concern for the Braves is that Strider has already undergone Tommy John Surgery (2019) and had his UCL repaired in his right elbow in 2024, limiting him to just two starts in that season. 

He came back in 2025 and made 23 starts, pitching 125.1 innings with a 4.45 ERA.

He has made eight starts this season with the Braves, posting a 5.31 ERA. That ERA became bloated in his injury-shortened Friday night start against the Mets when he allowed seven runs in just three innings.

Entering Friday's start his ERA was 4.00 for the season. 

Braves manager Walt Weiss said one of the alarm bells for the team on Friday was the fact Strider's fastball was only touching the high 80s.

Along with his major surgeries over the years, Strider almost missed the first month of the 2026 season while recovering from a strained left oblique. 

When Strider is healthy he can be one of the best pitchers in baseball, and is the most recent starting pitcher in the Major Leagues to win 20 games in a single season, having done so during the 2023 season.

No pitcher in baseball has topped that mark since then. 

The Braves entered the weekend with a commanding lead in the National League East, leading the Philadelphia Phillies by 8.5 games when Saturday's action began.