Spencer Strider looked like his dominant self in his first start in nearly a year.
The Atlanta Braves ace struck out six of the eight batters he faced Monday afternoon against the Boston Red Sox. He allowed no hits and did not walk a batter.
Strider, 26, made only two starts in 2024 before being shut down with Tommy John surgery last April.
That followed a breakout 2023 in which he was named an all-star for the first time and finished fourth in National League Cy Young voting.
He collected a league-leading 20 wins and 281 strikeouts along with a 3.86 ERA in 32 starts that season.
"That was definitely kind of a rare emotional moment for me on the field," Strider said after his start, according to Jayson Stark of The Athletic, "where I was happy instead of just angry at the world."
There is no timeline for when Strider will be activated by the Braves for regular-season games.
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