Lincoln Zdunich
The Atlanta Braves have spent the 2026 season doing something they haven’t in a while: being the best team in Major League Baseball. They own an MLB-best 46-25 record entering play on Monday alongside a top-10 pitching staff and offense. Atlanta has looked every bit the incredible team that fans hoped they would be.
And that’s why this news hits hard. Braves starting pitcher Spencer Strider will be out for four weeks after experiencing elbow inflammation, the team announced Monday afternoon. That is certainly better than the alternative, with many worried he might need surgery after being pulled from his start against the New York Mets on Friday. Strider had been tagged for seven runs (three homers) in less than four innings of work. He had averaged a season-low 93.7 mph on his fastball that night, and didn’t seem to have great command of his pitches.
An initial MRI of his throwing elbow revealed no ligament damage, meaning that Strider is unlikely to have surgery. That said, he will still be out for the next month, putting Atlanta’s rotation in a difficult position. Strider hasn’t had the greatest 2026 season, but he certainly had moments where he flashed the elite production he was once capable of.
An Uneven Career
Strider was one of the best pitchers in baseball for two years straight. From 2022-23, few pitchers were better than he was. Across 318 1/3 innings, the righty posted a 3.36 ERA, with a 2.67 mark in ’22 and 3.86 in ’23. While the ERA wasn’t nearly as good in 2023, he managed to rack up 20 wins, in part due to an electric Atlanta offense. Strider has, at times, been viewed as one of the most dominant pitchers in the game. However, it hasn’t been that way lately.
Injuries Derailed the Last Few Years
When Strider has toed the rubber, he’s been phenomenal. The only problem is that he has struggled with a series of injuries throughout his career. After his dominant stretch in 2022-23, Strider underwent an internal brace procedure in 2024 to repair his throwing elbow. That surgery caused him to miss the majority of the year before he returned in 2025. Unfortunately, when he returned he dealt with a hamstring injury that hampered him throughout the year.
That being said, Strider was still able to make 23 starts in ’25, but to mixed results. The right-hander only pitched 134 1/3 innings from 2024-25, posting a 4.63 ERA across that time. His earlier successes have been increasingly derailed by injury as it becomes harder and harder for Strider to work his way back to the big-league level. He was off to a decent start this season but had struggled at limiting runs. Through eight starts (39.0 IP), the righty owns a 5.31 ERA and has given up three-plus runs in six of his eight appearances.
What Could This Mean for Philly?
A month ago, it seemed like Atlanta had already locked up the NL East division. They had a ridiculous nine-game lead over the Philadelphia Phillies and Washington Nationals (tied for second place, May 15). Beyond that, they were 17 games over .500 and showing no signs of slowing down. And, honestly, not much has changed. In fact, the Braves are now 21 games over .500 in what has continued to be a miraculous season for the club. But the Phils have clawed their way to second place with a 38-33 record.
The Mattingly Tenure
Say what you will about Rob Thomson’s firing, it’s worked for Philadelphia. After a blisteringly awful start to the season in which the Phils were nine games under .500 and dead last in the NL East, the club parted ways with their long-term manager and bench coach Don Mattingly took over. Since taking over, Philly has gone 28-14 under Mattingly in a fantastic turnaround for the club.
That grit has pushed Philadelphia back into contention despite their aging stars. The starting rotation looks like the best in baseball, headlined by Cristopher Sánchez and Zack Wheeler. The offense looks better on paper than Atlanta does, with sluggers Bryce Harper and Kyle Schwarber anchoring a star-laden lineup. However, Philly certainly hasn’t played that way. Could they steal the NL East division from the Braves? It’s certainly unlikely, but, with the news of Strider’s injury, anything could happen.
Atlanta’s Rotation Problems
Despite plenty of star power in names like Chris Sale, Reynaldo López and Spencer Schwellenbach, Atlanta’s biggest problem of the last few years has been injuries to their pitching staff. The starting rotation is currently without Schwellenbach after the righty hit the 60-day IL back in February. He could return in late September, but he hasn’t pitched since 2025 and might need to be slow-played in order to preserve him for a playoff run.
Sale is the bona fide ace of the group, showing no signs of aging despite being 37 years old. The lefty boasts a 2.30 ERA through 78 1/3 innings pitched and has anchored the rotation. Behind him is Hurston Waldrep, who has been incredible in his rookie season for the club. Waldrep owns a 2.88 ERA through nine starts and will be heavily relied upon in the wake of Strider’s injury.
Should Philly gain momentum in the NL East race, they’ll need to bank on that rotation slipping up. Even if the Phils managed to keep step with the Braves, Atlanta has built such a massive lead that it seems almost impossible to catch up. The Braves lineup shows no signs of slowing down soon, so Philadelphia will need to make up as much ground as they can in order to win the division for the third year in a row.
