With 13 K's in rehab start, Strider looks ready to return to Braves

ATLANTA -- It’s going to be hard to convince anyone that Spencer Strider needs another rehab start. The Braves right-hander seems primed to renew the dominance he regularly displayed before undergoing season-ending right elbow surgery last year.

Strider recorded 13 strikeouts and allowed just one run over 5 1/3 innings for Triple-A Gwinnett in Norfolk on Thursday. The Braves hurler exited with a two-strike count when he reached his target of 90 pitches. This performance came two days shy of the one-year anniversary of him having an internal brace inserted to repair a damaged right ulnar collateral ligament.

"When they get done with something like that, we'll see how he feels when he comes in tomorrow, and then he'll do his side [session]," Braves manager Brian Snitker said prior to Thursday night's game against the Phillies. "But I feel like he's right where we want him to be before he gets here."

The Braves could activate Strider to pitch next week in Toronto or during the home series against the Twins that begins on April 18.

Strider struck out nine of the first 10 batters he faced on Thursday and totaled 27 strikeouts over 13 2/3 innings in three rehab starts for Gwinnett. He began his buildup with two Grapefruit League starts.

Strider led MLB with 483 strikeouts from 2022-23. Yankees ace Gerrit Cole ranked second with 479 strikeouts, which he tallied in 91 1/3 more innings.