NORTH PORT, Fla. — Perhaps the most telling indicator of how Braves pitcher Spencer Strider performed in a live batting practice session in his return from elbow surgery was this: On Saturday, a day after it had taken place, manager Brian Snitker had not heard how it had gone.
When Strider made his second live BP appearance of the spring, facing Ronald Acuña Jr. and Ozzie Albies for 30 pitches at CoolToday Park, Snitker was with the team for a game against the Minnesota Twins in Fort Myers.
“When it happened, I figured, ‘Well, if it went well, I wouldn’t hear anything,’” Snitker said.
Strider, who underwent surgery in April to repair damage to the ulnar collateral ligament in his right (pitching) elbow, had more feedback to share than his manager. He said it went well.
“Getting closer to hopefully getting into a game,” the 2023 major-league strikeout leader said. “I’m certainly looking forward to that and just having what feels like an increase in intensity when I actually start pitching.”
Strider said he has tried to be patient in his recovery and limit expectations.
“That being said, I think it’s gone super well,” Strider said. “There’s, in hindsight, always going to be things we could have done differently, places we should have slowed down, places we should have sped up. But I think it’s been a really seamless process so far, so I feel good about it.”
In the session, Strider threw two simulated innings, throwing 15 pitches against Acuña and Albies before taking a break in the dugout and then throwing another 15 pitches. Strider said he was less interested in the outcomes of the matchups and more in the feedback he received from analytics and coaches. The goal was incremental progress and increased intensity.
While he acknowledged that it wasn’t a game setting for them and that Acuña also is recovering from an ACL tear, it didn’t bother Strider that he struck his teammates out twice each.
“Certainly, I think I’d still own (Acuña) — and I have; there’s history behind that — even if he was healthy,” he said jokingly, though later asserting that he has indeed gotten the better of the 2023 National League MVP.
Strider said he’s tentatively scheduled for another live BP. He’d like to pitch in a spring-training game if possible. The season debut figures to be around late April.
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