Braves put Spencer Strider back on IL after freak Hamstring Injury

Drew Smith
April 21, 2025
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You know your season’s off to a rough start when your ace pitcher strains his hamstring playing catch. That’s the kind of cursed energy surrounding the Atlanta Braves right now — a team that entered the season with World Series aspirations and currently sits at the bottom of the NL East with an 8-13 record, waving red flags like it’s a maritime emergency.

Spencer Strider injured hamstring playing catch

Strider injured his hamstring playing catch within the past hour
— Mark Bowman (@mlbbowman) April 21, 2025

On Monday, Spencer Strider was placed on the 15-day IL after reportedly injuring his right hamstring in what’s supposed to be the least risky activity in baseball. No high-intensity drills. No bullpen session. Just a light toss. And now he’s shut down again.

This is the same Spencer Strider who posted a 20-5 record with 281 strikeouts in 2023, earning All-Star honors and a spot on the All-MLB First Team. But his 2024 campaign was derailed early by a UCL injury that required season-ending surgery after just two starts.

He avoided Tommy John, opting instead for an internal brace procedure to speed up his return. He made his first start since the surgery last week against the Blue Jays — and five days later, he’s back on the shelf.

What’s Going On in Atlanta?

This isn’t just bad luck — it’s a full-blown spiral. The offense has been flat. The rotation is scrambling. The bullpen’s unreliable. And now the guy who was supposed to stabilize it all is rehabbing again after a bizarre, avoidable injury.

The Braves can’t seem to catch a break. Spencer Strider’s IL stint adds to a growing list of early-season setbacks, and it’s only April. The timing couldn’t be worse. With the Mets surging, the Phillies swinging hot bats, and the NL East tightening up, Atlanta’s margin for error is shrinking fast.

Final Thought

Strider hurting himself while casually tossing a baseball just sums up the Braves’ season so far. It’s bizarre, brutal, and emblematic of a team that just can’t get out of its own way right now. If this is a sign of how 2025 is going to go, Atlanta might want to start thinking less about playoff seeding and more about surviving the month of May.