The Atlanta Braves have been the best team in baseball through the first month of the 2026 season, entering Wednesday’s matchup with the Detroit Tigers at 21-9 and sitting comfortably in first place in the National League East.
What makes their start even more impressive is that they have done it without one of their most important players. Spencer Strider has missed the entire season to this point, yet the Braves have not missed a beat.
Their starting rotation has held strong, their bullpen has been sharp, and the lineup has carried its weight, all while Strider has worked his way back from a left oblique strain suffered just days before Opening Day. Now, Strider is ready to return to the club this weekend. “Strider is slated to start Sunday at Coors Field,” reported Mark Bowman of MLB.com.
Strider has been on a rehab assignment over the past couple of weeks in the minor leagues and appears ready to return after officially missing just about one month of action. For both Strider and the Braves, this is a huge development.
The 27-year-old flamethrower is entering an important season individually, looking to reestablish himself as one of the sport’s most dominant pitchers after two disappointing years.
His last excellent season came in 2023, when he delivered a historic campaign: 281 strikeouts to lead MLB, a 20-5 record, a 3.86 ERA and an All-Star selection. But it has all been downhill from there.
Strider underwent right elbow surgery in 2024 and pitched just two total games, and when he returned in 2025 he struggled to regain his form, posting a 4.45 ERA across 23 starts. For a pitcher the Braves committed to long term, a six-year, $75 million contract extension that runs through 2028, the inconsistency was concerning.
The Braves believe Strider can still be an elite force, and his rehab work has trended in the right direction.
Strider’s season debut will come Sunday against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field barring any setbacks, one of the toughest environments for any pitcher. But the Braves are not focused on the venue, they are focused on getting one of their best pitcher back. Strider has been one of Atlanta's best homegrown players since being selected in the fourth round of the 2020 MLB Draft.
If Strider looks anything like the pitcher he was before the injuries, the best team in baseball is about to get even better.