Spencer StriderMatthew Grimes Jr./Atlanta Braves/Getty Images
Speaking of contenders that are looking at going the rest of the year without their No. 1 starter, Atlanta is likely to end up in that boat as well.
There’s still no official word on what awaits Spencer Strider, but we know he has a damaged UCL in his right elbow. That typically means Tommy John surgery, and he’s already had one of those.
In the meantime, it’s not hyperbolic to say Atlanta’s rotation is already in trouble.
Its depth was on the thin side even with Strider. Without him, Atlanta would be putting a lot of faith on a struggling lefty (Max Fried), two older starters (Charlie Morton and Chris Sale) and a guy who spent the last two seasons as a full-time reliever (Reynaldo López). For a team with World Series aspirations, this is south of optimal.
Potential Solutions: Jesús Luzardo, José Quintana, Lance Lynn, Frankie Montas
Atlanta and Cleveland should have their eyes on the same guys, in other words, though it’s harder to imagine the former landing Luzardo or Quintana. Teams generally don’t like to trade assets to division rivals.
Lynn is not to be dismissed out of hand, however. He’s always good for bulk innings, if nothing else, and so far this year he has a 2.63 ERA with 18 strikeouts in 13.2 innings.
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