Braves predicted to part ways with $71M All-Star, World Series champion amid Spencer Strider return originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The Atlanta Braves are beginning to get some of their key players back after multiple injuries to start the season. Atlanta saw starters Sean Murphy, Ha-Seong Kim, and Spencer Strider all deal with injuries early in 2026. However, Strider is now on the verge of making his season debut this weekend in Colorado.

“So, when will Strider make his first start for Atlanta? The first possible day he’d be available would be for Friday’s series opener at Coors Field, but Grant Holmes would go more than a week between starts if he doesn’t start Friday. Chris Sale and Strider would both pitch with an extra day of rest on Saturday,” MLB.com’s Mark Bowman wrote.

With Strider nearing his return, a roster casualty appears to be on the horizon, and former All-Star Martín Pérez could be the odd man out.

“Similar to the case with Suárez, the primary argument against Martín Pérez is the immediate upgrade Strider would provide upon his return. While Pérez has been serviceable across his five outings with Atlanta, his limited swing-and-miss profile offers relatively little upside, particularly when compared to other high-impact arms like or JR Ritchie. His 2.70 ERA suggests he's pitched well enough to stick around, but many of the underlying metrics indicate regression is on the way. Pérez was designated for assignment not long ago, and while he remains in Atlanta’s rotation for the time being, his window of opportunity appears to be closing quickly,”