Two of the injuries that hampered the Atlanta Braves’ season are expected to linger into next year, too.
Ronald Acuna Jr. (knee) and Spencer Strider (elbow) are not expected to be ready for Opening Day after undergoing season-ending surgeries in the spring, president of baseball operations Alex Anthopoulos said at the General Manager Meetings.
“I don’t think it’s significant time, but I think we’re confident that Opening Day is not realistic for them,” Anthopoulos said in San Antonio, according to MLB.com.
“Once we get to spring, you get to the beginning of February, you’ll have a much better idea on timelines. We’re planning that they will not be part of the Opening Day roster, and how soon after that, we’ll know more as we get deeper into the offseason.”
After winning 20 games and finishing fourth in NL Cy Young Award voting in 2023, the hard-throwing Strider made only two starts last season before needing surgery to repair the ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) in his right elbow.
Strider, 26, underwent an internal-brace procedure that typically carries a quicker recovery time than traditional Tommy John surgery.
Acuna, meanwhile, suffered a torn ACL in his left knee in late May and underwent surgery in early June.
The 26-year-old outfielder batted .250 with only four home runs and 16 stolen bases in 49 games in 2024, a year after he was crowned NL MVP after hitting .337 with 41 homers and 73 steals in 2023.
Those injuries were the most significant on a Braves team that also lost Ozzie Albies Jr. and Austin Riley for prolonged stretches.
Even without Strider, the Braves stayed afloat thanks to excellent starting pitching, with the resurgent Chris Sale expected to win NL Cy Young honors after going 18-3 with a 2.38 ERA and 225 strikeouts in 177.2 innings.
Following back-to-back seasons with at least 101 wins, the embattled Braves finished 89-73 this year and needed a 3-0 victory against the Mets in the final game of the season to clinch an NL Wild Card spot. The Braves were then swept by the San Diego Padres in their Wild Card series.
It was the first time since 2017 that the Braves did not win the NL East.
