Braves Injury Updates – Strider and Acuña Jr.

Spencer Strider will throw a simulated game on Wednesday, going five innings or around 70 to 75 pitches. The Braves will evaluate him after that session and determine whether he’ll need a rehab start or if he’s ready to be activated straight into the rotation. They want him to be able to throw 80-85 pitches before bringing him off the IL.

Meanwhile, Ronald Acuña Jr. is set to begin his rehab stint on Tuesday with the Florida Complex League. The Braves have not committed to a set timeline for how long he’ll need before potentially being activated. As I have stated before, the main thing is to make sure he is fully ready to go.

Two of Atlanta’s biggest names, Strider and Acuña Jr., are inching closer to returning, and their reinforcements could not come at a better time for a team looking to steady the ship. While there is more work to be done as a whole in Atlanta, and a lot of it, their return will be a welcome sight to the lineup and rotation. The Braves are among the lower half of offensive production in the league. It has been a long time since Acuña has seen live game action, so to expect him to come back in midseason form and perfect is a bit unfair, but the main point will be that he is back, and contributing to the struggling offense that has been.

As for the Braves' pitching rotation, they have done pretty decently, especially in the last few weeks. Still, you need your ace Spencer Strider back to bring that day-one threat back to the rotation and to lengthen the rotation an extra day. Snitker had mentioned before that it was under discussion to make the rotation a six-man one, depending on the performances of all involved. Will that happen? Maybe, but I feel like the Braves are collectively putting together good outings. Yes, there have been some forgettable performances here and there, but ultimately you can't complain with the work they've been turning in.

Stay tuned here for more updates as things contiue to develop. If you don't want to miss anything, hit the subscribe button at the top of the screen. It is currently free to subscribe.