Spencer Strider is set to begin the 2026 season on the injured list with an oblique strain, another setback in his young career. This is not the only issue facing the Braves' rotation, with Spencer Schwellenbach and Hurston Waldrep on the 60-day injured list, and Joey Wentz suffering a season-ending ACL tear. This injury is the third major injury Strider has faced in the last three years. The team hopes Strider will return to his best year of his career, finishing with a 4.45 ERA and 131 strikeouts.