North Port, Florida—This spring, the usually mustachioed Spencer Strider has two new tattoos, one of which reads “Stoic,” inside his left biceps. He also has a full beard.
The Braves pitcher joked, “I was bored.”
To be honest, unless one aspires to be stoic, one does not acquire such a tattoo. The 26-year-old Strider is now recovering from his second major elbow surgery in five years.
A stoic person is one who can endure hardship or discomfort without expressing their emotions or complaining.
When asked what he had discovered about himself during his recuperation from a second serious injury in his early career on Saturday morning at spring training, Strider responded as follows.
“I keep saying it, but in the end, I love the process,” he remarked. “Discuss learning a skill or anything. People talk about how 10,000 hours are needed for it. Mastery, after all, is something that has no actual end goal. You just know that someone is an expert at something, but it’s difficult to pinpoint when it occurs.
“Although I don’t consider myself a master, I believe that’s what I’ve been able to concentrate on (when) there were no results to define myself.”
“That identity, that ego, was not fed by anything on the field,” he explained. That means you’re spending a lot of time alone. Without a doubt, the primary element of a rehabilitation process is delayed gratification. Thus, just looking for methods to improve and, in the end, relishing the process of growth and learning.
Strider was an early contender for the National League Cy Young Award going into 2024, leading the majors in wins (20) and strikeouts (281 in 186 2/3 innings) in 2023. However, he only made two appearances before needing season-ending surgery to repair a torn UCL ligament caused by a bone fragment. The procedure involved the deployment of an internal brace.
Strider said the fracture had formed as a result of Tommy John’s elbow surgery during his time at Clemson in 2019.
He just had surgery ten months ago, and instead of the fourteen to sixteen months that most pitchers need for Tommy John rehab, he will likely need nine to twelve months. Strider should return to the Braves’ rotation by late April or early May, but he won’t be on the roster on Opening Day.
The Braves anticipate that he will start throwing live batting practice in the coming weeks and pitch in a Grapefruit League game prior to their break camp. He has been throwing off the mound for at least a few months.
After seeing Strider throw a few times in North Port, Braves manager Brian Snitker remarked, “I think he looks really good.” “I believe he is currently where he should be.”
In reference to Ronald Acuña Jr.’s statement on Friday that he is operating at 90 to 95 percent capability following his recovery from knee surgery, Strider was asked whether he could provide a percentage estimate of his current position.
Strider paused, then replied, “I don’t really think in those terms. I have no idea what 100% is. Additionally, we—or rather, athletes in general—are not particularly adept at calculating our % effort. I’m not sure if an Olympic runner will perform well if you ask them to run at 85 percent, you know.
It’s really individualized and contingent on the situation and day. However, as I mentioned before, we have been concentrating on making those small changes, aiming to make one step or one percent every day. Additionally, I think we’re in a fantastic position for spring training. Because it’s still a rehabilitation process, we need to approach things a bit differently. However, I don’t feel all that different from where I would be at spring training at this time of year.
Have we mentioned that Strider approaches almost everything in life—including and maybe particularly athletic performance—with an analytical, philosophical, and meticulous approach? Strider would absolutely not be the “see ball, hit ball” kind if he were a batter. He doesn’t keep things easy. Anything.
Snitker described him as “very dedicated and focused on what he’s doing.” “I realized that if anyone can do it, he can,” they said while discussing what he would experience following the second elbow operation. Since he will not take any quick routes. He will be really committed to his work and will do it consistently.
“I believe that will enable him to return and become a very good pitcher once more.”
Strider worked out with Braves pitcher Grant Holmes in the winter, and he had a locker next to Strider’s in the spring training clubhouse. Holmes made his major league debut last season after ten years in the minor leagues.
In his debut season in the major leagues, Grant Holmes pitched 26 games with a 3.56 ERA. Through Getty Images/Rich Storry)
“A unique man. “A unique pitcher,” Holmes said. He is a unique individual. And he does things in a really unique way. In terms of his workload and other things, he is undoubtedly one of the more dedicated men I have ever met.
Strider is an inspiration to Ian Anderson, who is vying for a starting rotation place this spring after missing two MLB seasons due to Tommy John surgery.
It’s definitely wonderful to have him back since he is the team’s heart and soul, Anderson remarked. Additionally, we’ve had a lot of fruitful discussions around pitching and other topics.
In Atlanta, Strider and Matt Olson practice at the same facility, Maven Baseball Lab, during the offseason. Both what Olson witnessed at the time and Strider’s subsequent advancements pleased him. Several Braves players, including Olson, halted their activities this week to watch Strider throw off the mound.
Olson remarked, “I think we all know Strider is going to be crossing all the ts and dotting all the i’s.” He has been keeping up with all of his tasks. It looks fantastic. I understand Strider’s mindset, so hopefully he’s not pushing himself too hard while he recovers from his injuries.
Strider doesn’t want to rush the last stages and make a mistake after he has come this far in his rehabilitation without any setbacks.
“It’s definitely a delicate balance,” Strider said. Additionally, the training staff is well-versed in these procedures, so they effectively ensure that I don’t exhaust myself or perform insufficiently each day. As I mentioned before, I believe that the most important element that is overlooked while taking those small steps is that you need to make sure the floor is rising.
“That’s the hardest part, in my opinion, and realizing you’ve come this far is sort of where we are right now. You’ve fulfilled several of these requirements; let’s move on to competition. And if you want to put a figure on it, having done this before brings out the final 5% that, for want of a better description, puts you in that competitive condition. Simply put, it’s concentrating a little more on what’s happening at the plate and attempting to generate results rather than as much on the rubber.
It’s impossible to picture Strider struggling to stay motivated for the next six weeks in Florida, even if he doesn’t throw in a spring training game until late in camp and has no chance of making the Opening Day roster.
He declared, “I’ve never struggled with motivation in baseball.” Naturally, there are moments when you feel demoralized and less driven for a variety of reasons. In the end, though, it’s simpler for me because of my innate enthusiasm for the game. However, going back to the mastery notion, I believe that’s the main point.
It simply involves realizing that every aspect of your life can be optimized and improved, and determining whether there is a direct link between that and your ability to play baseball. It’s not instrumental, in my opinion. I believe that the goal of everyone’s life path is simply to become a better person. In whichever manner you can.
“I think I’ve really come to understand that what I enjoy is just finding ways to be better in any way,” he said after pausing. Because my chances of succeeding on the baseball field increase significantly if I improve on even one little aspect.
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