Ahead of Game 2 of the Braves-Guardians series Saturday, manager Walt Weiss provided a few injury updates about the roster.
In the good news column, Weiss shared that Spencer Strider is set to begin his rehab assignment from the oblique strain which sidelined him to begin the season on Thursday after throwing a live batting-practice session Saturday. He’s going to start at 40-45 pitches and isn’t expected to be back on the major league roster this month, Weiss added.
Per Mark Bowman of MLB.com, Strider touched 95 three times during the second inning of his three-inning bullpen. His final fastball was clocked at 94.6. That’s notably lower than the 97 mph or higher he averaged in each of his first four seasons, but given his injury history, it’s fair to wonder if that velocity will be a part of his arsenal going forward.
The less good news is that Weiss said that outfielder Eli White, who would have been in the lineup Saturday with Michael Harris II on the paternity list, is day-to-day as he deals with plantar fasciitis in his foot.
Because of that, the Braves are forced to start Mauricio Dubon in center with Mike Yastrzemski in left for Saturday’s game against Cleveland.