According to MLB.com’s Mark Bowman, Brian Snitker said on Friday that Spencer Strider will start for the Atlanta Braves on Saturday when they play the Tampa Bay Rays in Port Charlotte to open the Grapefruit League season. Marcell Ozuna will also get some time at first base.
On the Braves’ Opening Day, Strider will be in the mix from the beginning. In 2023, he had a fantastic season, setting a new franchise record most strikeouts in a season (281), surpassing that of John Smoltz. In addition, he pitched 186 2⁄3 innings, a career best, with a 3.86 ERA and 2.85 FIP.
The veteran outfielder and DH will have a fresh look with Ozuna at first base. In the pre-Divisional Series intersquad scrimmages, Ozuna played some first base and worked with Ron Washington during the previous season. He will be seeing first base in real time for the first time this game.
According to Bowman, the opening game on Saturday will mark the spring debuts of Michael Harris and Jarred Kelenic. After being acquired by Atlanta from the Seattle Mariners in an offseason trade, Kelenic will be making his Braves debut.
This week has been quite exciting, filled with events such as Spring Training, expansion, and Ronald Acuña, Jr. Braves Mailbag: Bench places, Six-man rotation, and more.
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Today in the History of the Braves: Atlanta signage Episode 71 of Edward Salcedo PTBNL: The first spring training game is here, along with conversation about the lineup, rotation, Top 100, shortstop Kelenic, and more.
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