When the offseason began, it didn’t seem like the Braves were going to have a very long to-do list, but that changed in the blink of an eye.
Joe Jimenez underwent knee surgery and could miss all of the 2025 campaign. The bullpen quickly became an area of concern. That news preceded the update that the Braves won’t have Spencer Strider or Ronald Acuna Jr. ready for Opening Day.
As things stand now, nearly every facet of the team will be missing a critical piece. While Jimenez could be out the entire year, we haven’t known the timelines of Acuna and Strider until now.
“Remember, Ronald Acuña Jr. will likely miss at least six weeks while recovering from knee surgery, and Spencer Strider will likely miss at least four weeks while recovering from elbow surgery,” Mark Bowman of MLB.com writes.
By Bowman’s intel, the Braves should be planning for Strider and Acuna to miss the first month of the season, and it could end up being much longer than that. Both pieces are integral to the future of the organization. Neither will be rushed back at any point next season.
I’d argue the club is talented enough to overcome those absences for a month or two, but any longer is a glaring concern. The Braves also can’t be positive about which versions of Ronald Acuna Jr. and Spencer Strider they will get once they are deemed healthy enough to play. Acuna experienced the worst season of his career by a country mile following his first ACL surgery, and pitchers returning from a torn UCL are extremely volatile. The Braves have to go into next season with insurance plans, and that could mean adding multiple starting pitchers and multiple outfielders.
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Photographer: Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire
