Spencer Strider Undergoes Season-Ending Surgery, Braves Ace Latest Pitcher to Face Long-Term Recovery

The pitcher curse continues to find more victims. It hasn’t even been a month into the 2024 season and multiple pitchers have already fallen to elbow or shoulder injuries. Earlier Cleveland Guardians ace and former Cy Young winner Shane Bieber was forced to undergo surgery. Now a similar fate has befallen the Atlanta Braves’ 25-year-old Spencer Strider.

The Braves pitcher felt discomfort in his throwing elbow earlier in April. That immediately cast a dark shadow over his season. But now the team has announced that Strider has undergone surgery and will miss the entire 2024. That once again raises the question – what is the cause of the injury pandemic?

Spencer Strider falls as the league’s pitching issues worsen

The Atlanta Braves announced on Saturday that Strider had undergone an elbow surgery on Friday. While it isn’t the usual Tommy John, Strider sought to repair the UCL in his right elbow with an internal brace. Dr. Keith Meister performed that surgery in Arlington, Texas. That has effectively shut down Strider for the whole season which is a massive blow for the young man.

Strider had a major breakthrough season in 2023. He led the National League with 281 strikeouts and 20 wins. As a result, he was named an All-Star and almost made it to the finals for Cy Young awards (He was voted 4th). Unsurprisingly Strider was expected to carry on that great form in 2024 too. But that wasn’t to be. 

The Braves ace made only two starts before complaining of discomfort in his right elbow on April 5. Strider was immediately taken for an MRI which revealed damage to his throwing elbow. So he was expected to miss a good chunk of time. However, now that his entire season is gone Strider has joined a growing list of pitchers with significant elbow injuries.

Pitchers injury pandemic continues – is velocity to be blamed?

Bill Madden of the New York Daily News blamed the obsession with velocity as the reason for increased injuries. Madden noted that the total number of pitches over 100 mph has increased from 1057 in 2014 to a humongous 3880 in 2023. That’s a concerning number as it shows how much more strain the pitchers are giving their elbow to generate power. 

Hall of Fame GM Pat Gillick says, “They’re not teaching these kids how to pitch anymore. They’re just teaching them to throw hard…for velocity and spin rates but not how to pitch in games.” Madden entire report noted that these injuries begin in their adolescence. Constant traveling and push for power could be jeopardizing the longevity of pitchers.

Perhaps that’s what led to Strider’s and Bieber’s fall. However, pitchers have also been complaining of the pitch clock which doesn’t give them enough time to recover. As a result, there’s a long debate to be had on the topic – and maybe it is the one debate that shouldn’t be postponed anymore.