The Atlanta Braves lost ace Spencer Strider to another injury, and one analyst urges them to make a trade to acquire another ace.

Strider returned from UCL surgery on April 16. Yet, after just one start, he was put on the IL with a hamstring injury. After the injury, MLB analyst Zach Pressnell of Newsweek urges the Braves to trade for Sonny Gray from the St. Louis Cardinals.

“While this doesn’t seem like a huge deal, Strider is set to miss at least two starts. Hamstring injuries are notorious for nagging on for weeks. So it’s tough to tell when the righty will be fully healthy again,” Pressnell wrote. “With that in mind, the Braves might want to swing a blockbuster trade for a starting pitcher.

“The perfect option is St. Louis Cardinals ace Sonny Gray,” Pressnell added. “Gray has been one of the best pitchers in the league for the last few seasons, yet he’s rarely discussed in the top tier of arms. His consistency is hard to match, and the Braves desperately need a consistent, veteran arm like Gray right now.”

Gray is in the second year of his three-year, $75 million deal with the Cardinals and could bolster the Braves’ rotation.

Atlanta got off to a slow start and can’t afford to fall further back in the playoff race, which is why Pressnell thinks Atlanta should make a move to acquire Gray.

Gray is 3-0 with a 3.41 ERA in 5 starts this season. He’s a three-time All-Star.

Braves’ Strider Hoping to Return ASAP

Strider made his long-awaited return to the majors on April 16, but that was the only start he’d make before going back on the IL.

After being placed on the injured list with the hamstring injury, Strider made it clear he is doing whatever he can to get back onto the mound.

“It sucks,” Strider said. “I have done absolutely nothing to help this team and this organization for the past year. I finally got to a point where I could earn my paycheck and help us win games. And now I’m back on a table while they wave machines over me… I will do everything humanly possible to get back out there as soon as I can.

Strider isn’t sure how the injury happened, but he’s frustrated with how it all played out.

“I don’t have any explanation for it,” Strider said. “I’ve spent a lot of time thinking of one. The only thing I can really come up with is you become deconditioned to pitching. I hadn’t pitched in over a year. The body likes routine. And pitching is a very aggressive, taxing movement and I just hadn’t done it in a while. Why it didn’t happen in my bullpen or when I was throwing 400 feet the other day, I don’t have any clue.”

Strider is a one-time All-Star.

Braves Manager Hopeful Strider Returns Soon

Strider is Atlanta’s ace and a big part of the Braves’ rotation.

Although it’s disappointing news that Strider is injured again, Atlanta did get good news on him. Strider’s MRI exam showed a Grade 1 strain, which is the least significant of the three grades. So Braves manager Brian Snitker is hopeful he can return soon.

“Everybody is different as far as how long it takes them, but I think this was the best possible outcome,” Snitker said.

The Braves are 10-14 and last in the NL East.