Braves' Spencer Strider: Less damage than expected

Strider suggested Friday that he could be back on a mound early next season after doctors found that his ligament was in "surprisingly good" shape during surgery, Mark Bowman of MLB.com reports.

The right-hander indicated that the internal bracing procedure he underwent last week ended up being necessary because of a loose bone fragment in his elbow that had developed over the last couple years. "That's what destabilized the ligament," Strider said. Atlanta will likely be cautious with its ace's recovery, but the fact that he avoided Tommy John surgery and the relatively positive news about the state of his ligament are strong signs that he could still have significant fantasy value in 2025.