TORONTO (AP) — Atlanta Braves right-hander Spencer Strider will return to the mound against the Blue Jays on Wednesday afternoon, his first big league start since an April 2024 surgery to repair the ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow.
The Braves activated Strider off the injured list Wednesday morning and optioned right-handed reliever Zach Thompson to Triple-A.
The Braves are off to a slow start, and the return of Strider could provide a big lift. He went 20-5 with a 3.86 ERA in 2023, finishing with a major league-best 281 strikeouts in 186 2/3 innings and placing fourth in NL Cy Young Award voting.
Strider struck out 13 in 5 1/3 innings in a dominant rehab start at Triple-A last Thursday, allowing one run and three hits. He threw 90 pitches, 62 for strikes, and reached 97 mph with his fastball.
Strider, 26, last appeared in the majors on April 5, 2024, against the Diamondbacks in Atlanta.
Right-hander Chris Bassitt starts for the Blue Jays in Wednesday’s rubber match against the Braves.
NEED TO KNOW
Atlanta Braves (5-12, fifth in the NL East) vs. Toronto Blue Jays (10-8, second in the AL East)
Toronto; Wednesday, 1:07 p.m. EDT
PITCHING PROBABLES: Braves: Spencer Strider (0-0); Blue Jays: Chris Bassitt (1-0, 0.98 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, 21 strikeouts)
BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Braves -147, Blue Jays +123; over/under is 7 1/2 runs
BOTTOM LINE: The Toronto Blue Jays and Atlanta Braves play on Wednesday with the three-game series tied 1-1.
Toronto has gone 6-3 in home games and 10-8 overall. Blue Jays hitters have a collective .331 on-base percentage, the seventh-best percentage in the majors.
Atlanta has gone 2-10 in road games and 5-12 overall. The Braves have the 10th-ranked team batting average in the NL at .226.
The teams meet Wednesday for the third time this season.
TOP PERFORMERS: Andres Gimenez has three home runs, eight walks and eight RBI while hitting .215 for the Blue Jays. Bo Bichette is 14-for-45 with four doubles and seven RBI over the past 10 games.
Austin Riley has four doubles and five home runs for the Braves. Sean Murphy is 6-for-26 with four home runs over the past 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Blue Jays: 5-5, .250 batting average, 2.89 ERA, outscored opponents by six runs
Braves: 5-5, .272 batting average, 4.15 ERA, outscored opponents by three runs
INJURIES: Blue Jays: George Springer: day-to-day (wrist), Max Scherzer: 15-Day IL (lat), Erik Swanson: 15-Day IL (hand), Ryan Burr: 15-Day IL (shoulder), Daulton Varsho: 10-Day IL (shoulder), Alek Manoah: 60-Day IL (elbow), Angel Bastardo: 60-Day IL (elbow)
Braves: Marcell Ozuna: day-to-day (leg), Reynaldo Lopez: 60-Day IL (shoulder), Joe Jimenez: 60-Day IL (knee), Ronald Acuna Jr.: 10-Day IL (knee), Spencer Strider: 15-Day IL (elbow), Ignacio Alvarez: 10-Day IL (wrist)
