Prior to last season's injury, Atlanta Braves fans were spoiled to a level of excellence anytime Spencer Strider took the mound. While it wasn't always perfect, you knew the franchise had a great chance to win, and strikeouts were going to pile up. Fast forward to Strider's 2025 season, and things simply haven't looked the same. There has been flashes of what once was, but not anywhere close to the consistency Atlanta has grown to expect from the ace.
Tuesday's loss was a prime example of this, with Strider giving up 8 earned runs in four innings of work. Add in that only two Mets struck out, and the reasons for concern continue to grow. In his last four outings, the righty has given up 18 earned runs and only struck out 18 in that time frame.
Nothing paints the picture as perfectly as these two numbers, as well as Strider's 4.69 ERA. It isn't just a bad outing or two, but a season full of inconsistencies and concerning signs. It is time to begin to wonder if the Braves need to fill Strider's innings from another source. This is in no way giving up on future value, rather debating whether or not it is time to shut the starter down.
The Braves Should Weigh Shutting Down Spencer Strider for the Remainder of 2025
There are two ways to look at this, with the first being the fact you're sending Strider into the offseason with nothing to think about but failure. You're taking away the chance for the starter to figure things out and attempt to end the season feeling better about where things are heading. With how mental the position is, there is real concern about shutting Strider down if it is going to damage his confidence.
On the other hand, you're risking an incredible arm each outing in what is a lost season. Not only this, but Strider is far from the best version of himself. It makes sense to allow the veteran to take a step back and rest, attempting to reset and find out where things went wrong this season.
Shutting Strider down the rest of the way prevents injury and allows you to protect a franchise cornerstone. Even in the middle of a frustrating season all of the concerning numbers are the outliers. There isn't any reason to believe this is anything more than a bump in the road. For Strider, it is hard to find what the right answer might be as Atlanta continues to limp towards the season's final weeks.