Tuesday was a fantastic day for Braves Country. The club got back to .500 for the first time since Opening Day with a win over the Nationals, and Ronald Acuña Jr. made his return to live action, hitting a home run in the first game of his rehab assignment.

On Wednesday, Braves fans were hoping for more promising news on the injury front. Spencer Strider, who’s been sidelined with a Grade 1 hamstring strain for about three weeks, appeared just one hurdle away from rejoining the club next week. That final test came today at Truist Park in a simulated game, where he was scheduled to throw 75 pitches. While he accomplished that goal, the velocity he showcased on his patented heater is a cause for concern.

According to several reports from Braves beat writers in attendance, Spencer Strider was sitting 94 with his fastball, with a few 93s and touching 95 at times.

#Braves’ Spencer Strider is midway through his simulated game at Truist. He’s been sitting 94 mph with fastball, some 93s and a couple of 95s.

— David O’Brien (@DOBrienATL) May 14, 2025

Of course, the most important aspect is that Strider feels 100% healthy tomorrow. The velocity can improve with time, and it’s unlikely the adrenaline was pumping the same way it would with 45,000 screaming fans in attendance. He’s also coming off a season-ending UCL injury coupled with a hamstring strain. It would be abnormal if he was pumping 99 MPH gas in the blazing Atlanta afternoon heat.

However, abnormal used to be the norm for Spencer Strider. That is what made him so special. In his first full season with the Braves, his average fastball sat at 98.1 MPH. In his only start this season, it was 95.5 MPH, which is right in line with where he was during his rehab assignment.

That’s a pretty significant drop that should raise some eyebrows. Strider’s fastball is what made him one of baseball’s unicorn pitchers.  If that plus-plus offering turns into something slightly above average, it’s fair to wonder just how effective he can be moving forward.

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Photo: David J. Griffin/Icon Sportswire