Right-hander Spencer Strider will start Game 3 of the NLDS for the Atlanta Braves on Friday, the team announced. Strider has not pitched since Sept. 18 because of an oblique injury. Veteran Charlie Morton will start Game 4 on Saturday, when Atlanta will look to either keep their season alive, or advance to a third straight NLCS. Here's how you can watch Game 3.
#Back2Battle pic.twitter.com/xLAVLv3IJF
— Atlanta Braves (@Braves) October 14, 2022
"We're going to use him," Braves manager Brian Snitker said about Strider on Thursday. "It's just about -- that's probably the biggest discussion -- is how we're going to use this kid for our best advantage, really. We're going to use him, yeah."
Strider threw a bullpen session prior to Game 1 on Tuesday to gauge his readiness for the NLDS. It's unclear how deep he'll be able to go in Game 3 -- the Braves figure to have him on some sort of pitch limit following the month-long layoff -- but a few innings of Strider are better than a few innings of most others.
For that reason, starting Strider in Game 3 makes sense. Thursday was a scheduled NLDS off-day, so Atlanta's bullpen will be fully rested behind Strider, and Snitker can use his top relievers as needed. They'll do what they must to win Game 3, then trust Morton to give them some innings in Game 4.
Strider, 23, posted a 2.67 ERA with 202 strikeouts in only 131 1/3 innings during the regular season thanks to a dominant two-pitch mix. That earned him a six-year extension worth $75 million. Strider and Braves teammate Michael Harris II are very likely to finish first and second in the NL Rookie of the Year voting in either order.
The Braves and Philadelphia Phillies are tied at a game apiece in the best-of-five NLDS. The series now shifts to Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia after opening in Atlanta's Truist Park.
