The upcoming matchup between the Atlanta Braves and Baltimore Orioles will feature a duel between two former rotation mates.
Spencer Strider will take the mound for the Braves and he’ll go toe to toe with Charlie Morton, who just departed this most recent offseason.
The two became teammates when Strider was called up at the end of the 2021 season and became fellow Braves starters after Strider joined the rotation in May 2022.
Strider is making his second start of the Spring, which will also be his second live game since he went down with a UCL injury just two starts into 2024. His return was, by definition, perfect. He sat down all eight batters he faced in the game while punching out six of them.
The 26-year-old righty won’t join the Braves for Opening Day but is expected to be back in the rotation by the end of April.
Morton was unsure of whether he was going to pitch again following last season. He originally leaned toward retirement but ultimately decided to take the Orioles’ one-year, $15 million deal and stick around for at least one more year.
He was in the rotation for four seasons and was one of the most reliable members of the Braves rotation. Morton made at least 30 starts each season. While the Braves dealt with the injury bug last season, Morton guaranteed them continuity at least once every five days. During his time in Atlanta, he had a 4.09 ERA.
This outing will be Morton’s first appearance in a Spring Training game since March 8. He’s thrown six scoreless innings across three appearances in Grapefruit League action.
The two former teammates will face off on Sunday in the final game in North Port until next spring. First pitch is set for 1:05 p.m. Make a reunion game a fitting way to end.
