Braves Injury Bug Is Starting to Test Atlanta\u2019s Lead<\/h2>\n
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That has been the Braves\u2019 season so far: deep, dangerous, and often allergic to panic.<\/p>\n
However, as is often the case in baseball, injuries have begun to rear their ugly heads, and many notable players across the team have been affected.<\/p>\n
Spencer Strider Injury Adds Pressure to Braves Rotation<\/h3>\n
The latest and loudest concern is Spencer Strider<\/a>, who landed on the injured list with right elbow inflammation after exiting Friday\u2019s loss to the New York Mets. The encouraging part is that his MRI showed no ligament damage. Less comforting, of course, is that Strider will be shut down from throwing for at least four weeks before undergoing a follow-up MRI.<\/p>\n For a pitcher with Strider\u2019s injury history and reliance on a dominant four-seam fastball, that isn\u2019t the most promising news.<\/p>\n Strider\u2019s 2026 numbers already looked oddly human: 4-2, 5.31 ERA, 46 strikeouts, 23 walks, and nine home runs allowed over 39 innings. His fastball velocity also reportedly dipped dramatically during that Mets start, which made the whole thing feel less like a normal clunker and more like a warning light blinking brightly on the dashboard.<\/p>\n The Braves can survive a short Strider absence. They have survived plenty already. But for a team that is already lacking a number of its top starting pitchers, Strider\u2019s injury surely arrives at a bad time for the team.<\/p>\n AJ Smith-Shawver<\/a> remains on the 60-day injured list after Tommy John<\/a> surgery. Spencer Schwellenbach<\/a> is still recovering from right elbow trouble after arthroscopic surgery to remove bone spurs. Hurston Waldrep<\/a> has been activated and sent to Triple-A Gwinnett, which is encouraging. However, it\u2019s a far cry from that promising young pitcher handing Atlanta six crisp innings tomorrow night.<\/p>\n The good news is that Drake Baldwin<\/a> is back. The Braves reinstated him from the injured list on June 16 after a strained right oblique cost him nearly a month, and his return matters far beyond catcher depth. Before the injury, Baldwin was hitting .303 with 13 home runs, 38 RBI, and a .932 OPS in 48 games, leading the charge as one of the most notable MVP candidates for Atlanta<\/a> in the season\u2019s early going.<\/p>\nDrake Baldwin\u2019s Return Gives Atlanta a Needed Boost<\/h3>\n