Braves’ Spencer Strider gets 100% real on inconsistent 2026 season debut

On Sunday afternoon, the Atlanta Braves completed a sweep of the Colorado Rockies with an 11-6 win on the road. This game marked the season debut of Spencer Strider, who had missed the opening chunk of the season with an oblique injury, one of multiple Braves pitchers to be sidelined to start the year.

Strider was a mixed bag in his first start of the season, pitching 3.1 innings and allowing four hits, three earned runs, and recording six strikeouts on the afternoon.

After the game, Strider got 100% real on the performance, including the not so pitcher-friendly Coors Field.

“Where you pitch, it’s not under my control, it’s not an excuse. I don’t think it deprives you of the ability to throw strikes and execute. I didn’t do that, didn’t put us in a good position, but the offense was unbelievable, and the bullpen was really good too,” said Strider, per Chad Bishop of the AJC on X, formerly Twitter.

Strider had a rough 2025 season, dealing with velocity concerns after another major injury suffered the prior year, but the hope is that he will be able to work his way back into his All-Star form as the 2026 season progresses.

Without Strider and fellow starting pitcher Spencer Schwellenbach in the lineup, the Braves have still performed remarkably well so far this year, currently sitting with the best record in the entire MLB at 25-10, and already having built a massive lead in the NL East.

As Strider rounds back into form and other players get healthy, the Braves figure to only get even more dangerous as the season continues.

Atlanta will look to keep the winning ways going on Monday evening against the Seattle Mariners on the road.

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