The Atlanta Braves appear ready to add Spencer Strider to the NLDS roster as he works his way back from an oblique injury. According to team writer David O’Brien of The Athletic, Atlanta is confident their rookie sensation will be good to go for their first series of these playoffs.
#Braves optimistic about Strider for NLDS: pic.twitter.com/CoO0zUmpLB
— David O'Brien (@DOBrienATL) October 9, 2022
While the team will wait to see how Strider throws over the next couple of days before finalizing their roster, chances are the freshman MLBer will see the first playoff action of his young career.
The 23-year-old has been on the injured list since Sept. 18, but thanks to Atlanta grabbing a bye through the wild-card round, he’s had some more time to get back to game ready.
Strider has been nothing short of sensational for the Braves since getting called up from Triple-A. The right-handed hurler sported an 11-5 mark in the regular season to go along with a sparking 2.67 ERA and an absolutely ridiculous 202 strikeouts in only 131.2 innings.
The rook has been even better against the Phillies, putting up video game numbers in three starts and four appearances. Strider is 4-0 with a 1.27 ERA, 0.66 WHIP, 0.97 opponents batting average, and 34 strikeouts in 21.1 innings vs. Philadelphia.
It remains to be seen what role Strider would play should he be activated for this series, but with his dominance against the Phils, it would be difficult to see him not get a start.
Atlanta sits with the fourth-best odds to successfully defend their World Series title. FanDuel Sportsbook has the Braves sitting at +500 to win it all again.