Spencer Strider, the Atlanta Braves' right-hander, made his season debut in a loss to the Blue Jays (TOR 3, ATL 1), marking his first appearance since elbow surgery. In five innings, Strider allowed two runs on five hits, including a home run to Vladimir Guerrero Jr in the closing moments of his outing, while striking out five batters. Strider's performance also gave him his 500th career strikeout, making him the fastest primary starter to reach that milestone in MLB history. After the game, Strider downplayed his achievement, saying, “My job isn't to come back and have a moment and all that. I'm here to help the team.” Strider generated 13 swinging strikes, with 12 coming on his fastball and slider, although his fastball averaged 95 mph, slightly slower than before. Despite the reduced velocity, Strider's fastball registered more spin and vertical break, which could help counterbalance the drop in speed moving forward. Before his injury, Strider had a 3.47 ERA and a 4.54 strikeout-to-walk ratio, finishing fourth in the 2023 Cy Young voting with 281 strikeouts. The Braves need Strider to be dominant to improve their disappointing 5-13 start to the season following the loss.