After an injury-plagued 2024 saw the Atlanta Braves go from a World Series favourite to an early wild-card exit, they will once again be down some stars to open 2025.
Speaking to reporters Tuesday at the General Managers Meetings in San Antonio, Braves GM Alex Anthopoulos said that starter Spencer Strider and outfielder Ronald Acuña Jr. won't be ready for Opening Day.
Acuña, 26, tore the ACL in his left knee in late May while running the bases. The 2023 NL MVP had appeared in 49 games before the injury shut him down for the season.
In those 49 games, Acuña slashed .250/.351/.365 with four home runs and 16 stolen bases. In his MVP campaign the year prior, he became the first-ever player to hit more than 40 home runs and steal more than 70 bases in a single season.
According to Anthopoulos, it could be a month or two into the 2025 season before the four-time All-Star returns to the lineup.
Strider, meanwhile, only made two starts for Atlanta in 2024 before undergoing UCL surgery. The 26-year-old righty avoided Tommy John surgery — instead receiving an internal brace to repair the elbow injury.
A breakout star in 2022, Strider finished fourth in Cy Young voting in 2023 after leading the National League with 20 wins and 281 strikeouts over 186.2 innings.
Over his two appearances in 2024, the six-foot-tall Strider allowed seven earned runs in 9.0 innings while striking out 12.
Atlanta ended 2024 with an 89-73 record, claiming the second wild-card spot in the National League. However, it was dispatched in two games by the San Diego Padres.
