Curse of Freddie Freeman strikes once more”;”Absolutely brutal

Drafted by the Atlanta Braves in 2020, Spencer Strider was hadnded his big league debut the following year. In the years since, he has gone on to establish himself as an extremely important player for the team, earning All-Star honors and an All-MLB First Team selection in 2023.

In recent years, however, repeated injury issues have frustratingly stalled the starter’s progress, and it appears he is set for another stint on the IL to begin the 2026 season.

On Monday, popular content page “Talkin’ Baseball” posted to X, informing fans that Strider was struggling with an oblique strain.

“Spencer Strider will begin the year on the injured list,” the post was captioned.

Several disappointed fans left comments on the post, lamenting the Braves’ misfortune.

“The Curse of Freddie strikes again!” a fan wrote.

“Absolutely brutal. That’s 3 starters down already for Atlanta. They really need to bring in Giolito,” another fan commented.

“Genuinely who has it worse,” another fan replied.

“Oblique strains are the worst too bc they linger if you rush back Braves cant catch a break,” another fan responded.

“Surprise surprise! Can’t the Braves ever start a season with their best players healthy?” another fan shared.

“Just awful man. Feels like the same story over and over again. 2023 Strider may never come back,” another fan posted.

“We’re hoping it’s not going to be a big deal” – Braves manager talks about Spencer Strider’s injury

Speaking to MLB.com’s Mark Bowman on Monday, Atlanta Braves manager Walter Weiss talked about Spencer Strider‘s injury.

“I think we’ve gotten out in front of this thing to a degree,” Weiss said. “So we’re hoping it’s not going to be a big deal. It’s hard for him to feel it, but it is there when he throws. There’s a chance, if he would have went out and made a start today, it would have set him back further.”

Strider finished the 2025 season with a 7-14 record, 4.45 ERA and 131 strikeouts. Fans will hope to see him bounce back from this early injury and improve on those numbers as the 2026 campaign progresses.