The North Port Report: Braves Lose Spencer Strider to Injured List, but Win Grapefruit League Crown
Here's everything you need to know from Braves Spring Training in North Port, FL from Monday
Welcome to The North Port Report, your nightly notebook from Braves spring training. Each evening, we’ll run through the biggest developments from camp: roster battles, injury updates, standout performances, and the small details that matter more than they seem in late-March. The games may not count yet, but the information does.
Here’s what stood out today
Spencer Strider is going on the injured list with an oblique injury. Per Friend of the Program Chad Bishop of the AJC, Strider was feeling the oblique in his last Grapefruit League start and it bothered him again in his most recent bullpen. The team’s hopeful this will be a short IL stint, though. “It’s mild. He got out in front of it, but we’re gonna be cautious,” manager Walt Weiss said. “We feel like we’ve gotten out in front of this thing to a degree, so we’re hoping it’s not gonna be a big deal.”
Immediately after the injury, Weiss reiterated that the current plan was still for Didier Fuentes to be a long man out of the pen during the season-opening stretch, meaning that either José Suarez or Martín Pérez would be next in line for a short-term rotation spot while Strider recuperates. We’ll see if that plan holds.
In true longman form, Fuentes got the short-notice starting assignment today and pitched 4.2 innings against the Pirates in Bradenton, striking out one and allowing two hits and a walk. He was also charged for his first run of spring training, with inherited runner Spencer Horwitz scoring on a double allowed by reliever Samuel Strickland.
Overall, Fuentes mixed in his splitter at 20% usage today, although still didn’t throw any curveballs and it’s currently unknown whether or not he plans to use the pitch this season. He picked up just three whiffs and 14 called strikes in his 65 pitches. While it was disheartening to see seven hard-hit balls allowed, four of them were ground balls. I’m still tentatively excited about his ability to turn a lineup over at least once. We’ll break down more about Atlanta’s alternatives to Strider tomorrow.
On the offensive side, Atlanta had seven hits, four of which were homers. Matt Olson went deep twice, while the outfield tandem of Eli White and Mike Yastrzemski each added one. Ronald Acuña Jr. added a double, but also hit into a double play and was picked off/caught stealing when trying to take third base.
Quick Hits
The win, Atlanta’s 20th of spring training, was enough for them to officially clinch the Grapefruit League crown with one game left in the schedule. Grant Holmes will make that start tomorrow at home versus Ryan Pepiot of the Tampa Bay Rays.
Want to shout out Anthony Molina after this game. He pitched the final two innings and allowed one run on two hits with a walk and a strikeout, but the inputs were fantastic. He averaged 98.1 on his four-seamer today with 16.7 inches of IVB, an average amount, but from an exceptionally low 5.1° vertical approach angle. It absolutely can play up in the zone with those numbers. All four pitches he threw - he buttressed the four-seamer with a slider, a changeup, and a curveball - came in at over 100 on Stuff+.
John Gil (1-3, HR, 2 RBI, 2R, 1BB) and Garrett Baumann (3IP, 0H, 0R, 0BB/5KS) both made MLB’s All-Spring Breakout Team after Saturday’s win.
Here’s our game recap, if you missed the YES broadcast.
Observation of the Day
The offense has a plus-49 run differential during spring training and if that comes with them up north, it’ll definitely be helpful as the Braves attempt to figure out their rotation. They could get up to four pitchers back from injury at some point in time this season (everyone but Wentz, essentially), but it’s no secret that Elder and Suarez/Pérez/Ritchie as your #4 and #5 might require more run support than Schwellenbach, Strider, and Waldrep.
Tomorrow’s watch list
It’s the final spring training game before the boys pack it up and head north. Is this the one where we finally get the true starting nine? We came close today, except for Jonah Heim batting for Drake Baldwin.