After being activated from the injured list (IL) for his 2025 season debut last week, former Clemson pitcher Spencer Strider has unfortunately returned to the IL.

The Atlanta Braves star was placed on the IL on Monday with a right hamstring strain.

Strider injured the hamstring playing catch on Monday, according to MLB.com’s Mark Bowman.

After undergoing season-ending surgery last year to repair the damaged ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow, Strider returned to the mound last Wednesday for his first MLB regular season start since April 5, 2024.

The 26-year-old righthander was solid against the Toronto Blue Jays in last week’s start, when he allowed one walk, five hits and two runs with five strikeouts over five-plus innings.

With his fifth strikeout, which came in the fifth inning, Strider tallied the 500th strikeout of his MLB career — becoming the fastest primary starting pitcher, by innings pitched, to reach the 500-strikeout milestone (334 innings).

Prior to his season-ending injury last season, Strider was an All-Star in 2023, when he led the majors in both wins and strikeouts. That season, he racked up 281 strikeouts while posting a 20-5 record, 3.86 ERA, 1.09 WHIP and allowing only 146 hits in 186.2 innings over 32 starts. He finished fourth in the 2023 NL Cy Young voting.

Strider, who was drafted by the Braves in the fourth round (No. 126 overall pick) of the 2020 draft, has compiled a 32-11 record, 3.47 ERA, 1.07 WHIP and 500 strikeouts in 334.2 innings across 68 career regular season games (55 starts).

–Photo courtesy of John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images