The Atlanta Braves have received some positive news regarding pitcher Spencer Strider’s UCL injury. It was determined that the damage to Strider’s UCL was caused by a bone fragment that became lodged in the ligament. While he will miss the remainder of the 2023 season, Strider is expected to return in approximately 12 months, significantly sooner than the previously projected timeframe of after the 2025 All-Star break.
This optimistic prognosis is due to the successful internal brace procedure performed by Dr. Keith Meister, the Texas Rangers team physician who specializes in elbow surgeries. The internal brace procedure involves repairing the UCL without the need for a full Tommy John surgery.
In his first public comments since leaving his start against the Arizona Diamondbacks on April 5, Strider spoke to reporters and touched upon various topics, including his injury and recovery process. However, one particular subject that resonated strongly with Strider was the need to raise awareness and understanding of pitcher injuries.
Strider addressed the ongoing debate surrounding the perceived ‘injury epidemic’ in baseball, particularly among pitchers. He expressed his disagreement with the notion that pitchers solely cause these injuries by giving maximum effort on the mound.
‘I mean, if you’ve got three hours, I’ll sit down and have this conversation,’ said the 25-year-old Strider. ‘I don’t want to create some sound bite for somebody to turn something into. There’s so many things that go into it. It’s such a complex situation. And I think what’s been frustrating from my end is reading things and seeing people talk and implying that it’s one thing or that they somehow are in a position to know why injuries are happening. If we knew, then they’d stop happening.’
Before suffering his injury, Strider had emerged as Atlanta’s ace pitcher after an impressive 2022 season in which he posted a 20-5 record with 281 strikeouts, leading the major leagues in both categories. In his combined 2022 and 2023 starts, Strider boasted a remarkable 3.36 ERA and 318 1/3 innings pitched.
With Strider sidelined, the Braves have turned to right-hander Darius Cines to fill his spot in the rotation.
Strider’s injury diagnosis was initially perplexing, as X-rays revealed a bone fragment floating in his arm. The fragment resembled a broken humerus, the upper arm bone that connects to the forearm bone by the UCL.
‘It looked like I broke my humerus, like I broke the tip of my humerus,’ Strider described. ‘And there’s this big bone floating in my arm. We had to do all of the imaging to understand what it was, and then get in there to see kind of what was really going on.’
Following an MRI, Strider sought a second opinion from Dr. Meister. The renowned surgeon is known for developing a modern version of Tommy John surgery that utilizes an internal brace. This procedure can be employed when the UCL is not completely torn, as was the case with Strider’s injury.
While the success rate for pitchers returning to full strength after multiple Tommy John surgeries is lower compared to recovering from the initial surgery, the positive aspect for Strider and the Braves is that he is anticipated to make his return sooner rather than later.
