ATLANTA — Braves players and team officials have sounded more optimistic in Spencer Strider’s ability to return to full strength next year than one might expect from a pitcher who recently underwent his second major elbow surgery in five years.
But there was a basis for their confidence, aside from Strider’s well-known work ethic and colleagues’ desire to wish a rapid return to being. Strider did not have a fully or even partially torn UCL; rather, he suffered ligament damage as a result of a bone fragment that he said became stuck in it.
That made him an ideal candidate for the internal brace surgery he underwent in Texas a week ago. Dr. Keith Meister removed the bone portion and reinforced the UCL with a fiber-tape suture, a less intrusive method than Tommy John surgery, which replaces the ligament with a tendon transplant from another region of the body.
“It’s not really an either/or situation,” Strider said of the brace, rather than Tommy John. “I told folks that my ‘check engine’ light turned on, and they didn’t say, ‘We can change your oil or change your entire engine.'” They were compelled to enter and investigate. This fragment kind of obscured the entire view on imaging.”
Strider met with media on Friday for the first time since abandoning his April 5 start against the Arizona Diamondbacks because to elbow problems that started in spring training. He assumed it was just usual soreness that he could pitch through, but it kept reoccurring and progressed from sore to throbbing during his four-inning outing against the Diamondbacks.
“Originally, the night I pitched, we came in and got an X-ray, and it was like, wow, this could be a lot of things, you know?” Strider spoke about the exam performed at Truist Park that night. “So, gather all of the imaging, speak with (Meister), who consults with others, and devise a strategy. They cut me open and ask, “What does it look like?” And then proceed from there.
“And that was good.” It was quite delicious. It turned out better than I expected.”
Rehab for an internal brace technique is normally four to six months shorter than for Tommy John surgery, so Strider may be back in around 12 months, barring complications. If Strider had needed Tommy John surgery, which would have been his second in five years (he had it in 2019 while at Clemson), he would have been out until after the 2025 All-Star break.
Lucas Giolito is one of a growing number of players who have an internal brace surgery. (Maddie Malhotra / Boston Red Sox/Getty Images))
He addressed the debate over MLB pitching injuries, arguing that “max effort” pitching is not the primary culprit.
“I mean, if you had three hours, I’ll sit down and have this chat,” said 25-year-old Strider. “I don’t want to make a sound bite that someone can transform into something. There are numerous factors to consider. It’s a very tricky problem. And I think what’s been irritating for me is reading things and seeing people talk and insinuating that it’s one thing or that they somehow know why injuries occur. If we knew, they wouldn’t happen.
“People were getting hurt in baseball long before we started showing velocity on the screen. And I believe that the game’s environment incentivizes certain things, and we can understand why velocity is prized. We can get guys to throw harder. But velocity, in and of itself, should not be a reason to restrict players from throwing hard. We should seek an environment that promotes player health. And I believe that’s a separate conversation.”
He described it as frustrating to see himself, while preparing for and then recuperating from surgery, become an example that many cited in conversations about injuries caused by pitchers pursuing ever-increasing velocity and spin rates.
“Yeah, there’s just so many individuals in any issue, any field, who are being a little dishonest and probably speaking out of their knowledge,” Strider remarked. “The demise of expertise, I believe, is a terrible truth for society today. I’m not claiming to be an expert; rather, I believe that many people presume they know all of the answers. And the public discourse on this subject is important. So that’s what’s frustrating.
“You understand, we want to fix this situation. I also believe that injuries are somewhat random. I don’t think we’d be having this argument if the game’s top pitchers had been replaced by a bunch of unknowns.”
He continued, “I believe you should wait to see how the entire season plays out. If guys are still getting hurt at the same rate, I believe a wider conversation is required. I believe a talk is necessary because I do not believe the league or other entities are doing or acting in a way that promotes player health or creates a healthy atmosphere.”
When asked to elaborate, Strider gave some of his opinions based on his experiences and studies on the subject.
“Like I said, it’s a long (debate),” he said of the factors contributing to a rise in pitching injuries. “Obviously, the pitch clock. The state of the balls. The prohibition of substances to gain traction. The strike zone has effectively shrunk for a variety of reasons. All of these factors contribute to injury. You know, I don’t think you can—like in football, people say, “If you take away the helmets, the guys will stop getting harmed.” That’s quite ridiculous. Men are bigger, faster, and stronger than they have ever been. You cannot take that away.
“You don’t want guys to compete below their potential, or ability, merely to avoid injuries. The game setting should allow guys to compete at their peak capacity while remaining healthy, or at least have the opportunity to do so. So, it’s a lengthy conversation.”
Strider also gave an analogy from a recent conversation he had about the matter.
“Someone told me pitchers’ arms are somewhat of like vehicles,” he explained. “Go get a Subaru Outback; that thing is going to run. You can drive it off-road. You can beat the crap out of it. I owned a Subaru Impreza for a long time, placed a kayak on top, dented it, stuck stickers all over it, and took it in for maintenance once a year. I mean, it goes. It isn’t glamorous, and it won’t win any races, but it’s reliable.
“So, if you buy a Ferrari, you better take good care of it. You have to do a lot of work, and it may be temperamental; it will break down. But if you want to race, you need a Ferrari. I believe that’s the current condition of the game. Teams are hunting for Ferraris, which are difficult to maintain.
Strider’s issue, a bone fragment that he indicated likely developed as a calcium deposit after his 2019 Tommy John surgery, appeared unrelated to how hard he pitches or the inclusion of a curveball to his arsenal since last season, as many outside observers had speculated.
“It’s not like I was throwing a splitter or something that’s potentially dangerous,” Strider added, referring to high-torque pitches that can place extra strain on the elbow. “This was mostly beyond my control, sadly.”
He claimed that the calcium deposit that formed near his UCL may have helped strengthen it for a period. However, when a piece of that bony growth came off, it caused complications.
Strider believes that mild pain from a year ago may have contributed to some of his uneven performances in 2023 by prompting him to slightly adjust his mechanics, but he is not certain. All he knows is that this year at spring training, despite his excellent performance in Grapefruit League games, he was unable to recuperate as quickly as normal, and what he felt was weariness was caused by a bone fragment sliding into his UCL.
“They suspect that I tore some connective tissue between this fragment and my humerus.” And it is what caused the ligament to destabilize. And perhaps I blew through (the connective tissue) in the final at-bat of that game. Things deteriorated quickly throughout the outing.”
Strider stated that X-rays taken after he exited the room on April 5 revealed the bone component, which surprised those present.
“It looked like I shattered my humerus, or the tip of my humerus,” Strider said, referring to the upper arm bone that is attached to the forearm bone by the UCL. “And there’s a large bone swimming in my arm.” We had to conduct all of the imaging to figure out what it was, and then go in to check what was going on.”
The next day, Strider underwent an MRI before visiting Meister, the Texas Rangers’ team physician and a well-known orthopedist who specializes in elbow surgery. He is most recognized for a modernized type of Tommy John surgery that employs an internal brace, which he also performs without TJ in some cases when the UCL is injured but not entirely ruptured. Cases like as Strider’s.
“Once they got in there, the ligament tissue was quite good,” Strider explained. “So, they cleaned out some stuff and put the brace in, which is fantastic for recuperation. I got to maintain a ligament that is actually quite solid tissue.”
The success rate for pitchers returning to full effectiveness following a second Tommy John surgery is lower than it is after the first TJ operation, and the recovery period can be longer. Strider and the Braves now have a pitcher that has set both team and MLB strikeout records in his first two seasons, making him a face of the franchise.
“It’ll be a while before I start throwing or anything, but I’ll trust the rehab process,” Strider explained. “I mean, they do this a lot. Dr. Meister has a terrific rehab plan in place, and fortunately, the calendar works out so that there is no urgency. So I’m going to put my trust in the medical professionals. Of course, if it were up to me, I’d attempt pitching tomorrow.”
He wears a bulky metal-and-plastic brace to immobilize his elbow. Strider will complete his rehabilitation in Atlanta, where he and his wife have a home and can be near the team.
Strider spoke out following the Braves’ second consecutive NL Division Series loss to the Philadelphia Phillies, emphasizing the necessity for a different postseason preparation. And it was Strider who, before spring training began this year, declared that the Braves must take a World Series-or-bust mentality because they were, in his opinion, the best team in baseball.
Several teammates agreed with him until it became an early spring catchphrase, and Braves officials appreciated hearing Strider speak with such confidence and leadership. Now he won’t be on the mound to assist the team achieve its lofty aim.
“Yeah, now I’m not,” he replied, forcing a smile. “These guys don’t need me to win the World Series. So they’re going to take that adventure, and I’ll be there to cheer them on.”
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