The Braves have a deeper rotation than most, led by Sale, Reynaldo López and Spencer Schwellenbach, a revelation last season as a rookie. But when they activate Strider from the IL, provided the others stay healthy, it has the makings of an elite unit topped by arguably the best 1-2 combination in baseball — Sale and Strider, in either order.

Speaking of Strider, he may be back sooner rather than later after making his Spring Training debut on March 17th, Strider threw nearly 3 shutout innings vs. the Boston Red Sox, Strider had 6 in strikeouts his first start since an elbow injury and surgery in early 2024.

Of course, there's also precedent for Strider's dominance in MLB. In his last full season before injury (2023), Strider was a force for the Braves, pitching to a 3.86 ERA over 32 starts, including a whopping 281 strikeouts over 186.2 innings, the most of any pitcher in baseball that year.

As top prospect Drake Baldwin prepares to serve as the Braves primary catcher while Sean Murphy is on the injured list, James McCann will be preparing to bolster the organization’s catching depth. McCann agreed to a Minor League deal with the Braves,

The Atlanta Braves are signing veteran catcher James McCann to a minor league contract, according to Robert Murray of FanSided. McCann, 34, is an 11-year veteran and played in 65 games for the Baltimore Orioles last season,