Few may have embodied the 2025 Atlanta Braves season more than Spencer Strider. He spent time recovering from an injury. There were some solid highs. There were some low lows. He’s down in North Port looking to correct course, just like the team as a whole.

Now, it’s all about managing expectations, even if there are some baby steps that go along with it. On Thursday morning, he said with a smirk that he wants be on the opening day roster.

“That would be nice,” he said, via the AJC’s Chad Bishop.

You could tell it was hard to keep a straight face when he said it. You can’t blame him. For someone with the standing he has with the team, the idea of him vying to be with the team to start the season is laughable at first thought.

But at the same time, that wasn’t something he got to last season. He made his couple of spring training starts and then went to his rehab stint.

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It’s now a priority to what he needs to do in order to be healthy and ready to perform at the start of the season. He said on Thursday that it’s all about being aware of where you’re at and what the end goals are.

“You got to keep a perspective on how long of a season it is,” he said. “You can’t be where you want to be at the end of the season if you’re not in a position to grow, leaving spring training.”

One workout or start isn’t going to make or break anything, at least most of the time. Perhaps that’s a good mindset for him to have.

There are times when Strider is hard on himself after a start. Sometimes, it’s understandable. There were tough moments. However, he may have done his part, what his team needed from him, and he would beg to differ.

Having the mindset of a fierce competitor is admirable. That’s undoubtly what got him to this point. But it’s not a good headspace to be in when looking to bounce back and you’re struggling.

At least, once you’re in spring training, and now in the whirlwind of the games that have implications, it’s easier to step back and get the full picture.

“I think you got to keep a slow build in mind. Learn from what things took more work than previous years; spend some more time on those, and just keep track of the benchmarks throughout the season and where those are at. Don’t let anything get too off the tracks.”

If that’s the mindset he takes going forward, that’s already a step in the right direction for him. It’s a clearer perspective to evaluate.

Strider entered last season recovering from a UCL injury. Shortly after his first start, he was dealt a hamstring injury. Then, the slider didn’t always click. He had to work around decreased velocity. In 23 starts, he pitched to a 4.45 ERA, a 1.39 WHIP and 131 strikeouts across 125 1/3 innings.

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