Braves Get Update On Rookie Sensation's Recovery Status

With a magic number of one to clinch the National League East Division, the Atlanta Braves are almost certain to get close to a week's rest after the regular season wraps up Wednesday night. That will be a huge bonus in recovery time for rookie pitching sensation Spencer Strider. He's been out with a strained oblique since Sept. 21st.

#Braves encouraged by Spencer Strider's progress -- threw on flat ground today (not mound) and had no issues with his strained oblique. Real test will be when he throws off mound soon, but so far, it's what they hoped when they "doubled down" on core exercises and other rehab.

— David O'Brien (@DOBrienATL) October 4, 2022

The Braves are "encouraged" by his progress, after he threw on flat ground today with no issues with the oblique. But throwing off a mound will be the real test. That should come later this week. 

In the meantime, amping up his core exercises recently has thus far provided promising progress. The team said it "doubled up on treatment" a couple of days ago. "We'll see where he's at tomorrow," said manager Brian Snitker. He could have a bullpen session in the coming days. 

The Braves avoiding the Wild Card Series which begins this Friday buys Strider several extra days to throw some more bullpens, building up to where he could be activated for the NLDS.

Strider has a 2.67 ERA and 0.99 WHIP this season with 202 strikeouts for an incredible 13.8 K/9. He and rotation mate Charlie Morton have paired up for a Braves franchise first in the last 136 years. Yes, you read that right. 136 years. 

Charlie Morton and @SpencerSTRIDer are the first #Braves teammates to both reach 200 strikeouts in a season since 1886, when Old Hoss Radbourn and Bill Stemmyer both reached the mark.#ForTheA pic.twitter.com/upybEu0pgJ

— Atlanta Braves (@Braves) September 25, 2022

They're the first Braves teammates to reach 200 strikeouts each since 1886, when Braves legends (well, they might have been in the 1800s) Old Hoss Radbourn and Bill Stemmyer pulled off that feat. 

Photo: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports