WASHINGTON -- For the second time this year, Spencer Strider stepped onto an MLB mound for some form of a debut.
This time, it was his return from a right hamstring strain he suffered prior to what would have been his second start of the year on April 21. And despite the Nationals getting some early hits off the Braves righty in Atlanta’s series-opening 5-3 loss on Tuesday at Nationals Park, Strider did well -- four runs allowed on six hits and one walk over 4 1/3 innings -- though it didn’t live up to his own expectations.
“Didn’t give us a chance to win the game, really,” Strider said. “Just got to be better. Didn’t execute, stuff wasn’t consistent. Just hate to see the guys come back, put a three-spot up there and then go out and immediately give up the lead. That’s just one of those things you never want to do. So, you know, not acceptable for me.”
Despite that, and though Strider might not agree, he did keep the Braves in the game. After all, it was just a one-run game when Strider exited. And manager Brian Snitker liked what he saw from his young righty.
“He’s got to start somewhere,” Snitker said. “We got him five ups, just kind of like we were trying to do the last time he threw. And so I think the more he throws, the better he’s going to get. We just had to start somewhere. …
“As long as he’s healthy and he does his sides, and then makes his next start on Sunday, I think he’s going to continue to get better.”
Strider is a pitcher who seeks perfection and does everything he can to achieve it. It’s why he became somewhat of a household name in his rookie season in 2022 -- when he finished second in NL Cy Young Award voting -- and again in his All-Star campaign in '23 (in which he finished fourth in NL Cy Young voting).
He already has at least the beginnings of a plan for how he can continue working back toward that lights-out form. The Braves have never doubted that Strider can (and will) get back to that place; Strider has all the resources he needs at his disposal, and he has found his way through mechanical adjustments before.
“Specifically it’s leaning on technology, No. 1,” Strider said. “I think otherwise, it’s hard to have a direction. … I’m pretty well aware of some things that I need to improve upon from a movement standpoint. So trying to use stuff to help track the progress and direct the work.”
One of the things Strider would like to hammer out is his velocity. As is expected when a player is returning from about a year out of big-league action, Strider’s velo has been down this year. On Tuesday night, his four-seamer averaged 95 mph -- a far cry from the 97.2 mph it averaged in 2023.
Strider’s fastball velocity also declined over the course of his start: 95.9 mph in the first inning, 95.3 mph in the second, 94.1 mph in the third and 93.5 mph in the fourth. That, too, is quite normal in baseball.
“I actually think pitch movement was pretty good today,” Strider said. “The data on the stuff itself was in a pretty decent spot. I think, like I said, the execution wasn’t great, obviously, and the consistency needs to improve.”
“It’s going to get better,” Snitker said. “It’s going to get better as he gets stretched out. And it was going to get better from the last time prior to the hamstring injury. And it’s just -- you know what, he’s just going to have to get out there and get his strength back.”
It didn’t help that Strider got into some jams early -- particularly in the first inning, when he gave up four hits in a row with one out. Three runs scored in that frame, forcing the Braves to work from behind. After that, though, Strider settled in and allowed just one run (via a second-inning home run) on two hits over his final 3 1/3 innings.
“The more he pitches, the sharper everything’s going to get,” Snitker said. “[That’s] a pretty good hitting club. … It wasn’t an insurmountable amount. We came back and tied it and just kind of, we went silent there towards the end.”
As the season progresses, Atlanta will continue to build up Strider as he works toward that All-Star form he knows is attainable. He knows what he must do, and he’s dedicated to his craft.
“Just a lot of things I need to work on,” Strider said, “certainly as a result of not pitching for so long and being injured. … There’s no excuse, there’s no rhyme or reason to it. Just got to work harder and work smarter and get better. …
“I don’t enjoy failing, and certainly not at the expense of the team. We sent a pretty good guy down that was supposed to pitch in my spot, so that’s not lost on me. And it’s kind of the nature of the game. … If I can’t be better, I don’t need to be out there.”