"He's delusional" - Spencer Strider shoots down Chris Sale's bold claim after Braves pitcher's solid return from surgery

The Atlanta Braves rotation received a massive boost on Monday after ace Spencer Strider returned to action for the first time in almost a year. Strider underwent ulnar collateral ligament surgery in his right elbow last April, missing the 2024 season for the Braves.

The All-Star pitcher made his Spring Training debut against the Boston Red Sox on Monday, striking out six hitters five in a row, over 2 2/3 perfect innings in his return to the mound.

Veteran Braves hurler Chris Sale, who won his maiden Cy Young award after a dominant 2024 in Atlanta, made a bold claim. Sale heralded Strider as the best pitcher on the team despite his stellar performance last season.

“Let’s face it, he’s still the best pitcher on this team,” 2024 National League Cy Young Award winner Chris Sale said. “There’s no question about that.”

While Sale's comment was an indication of his humility, Strider shot down the praise after his game against the Red Sox.

“I know he’s delusional and we deal with that every day,” Strider playfully said when asked about his veteran teammate's comment in a postgame interview.

Spencer Strider not getting ahead of himself after solid Spring Training debut

Spencer Strider, who played just two games last season, looked like his dominant former self on Monday. The All-Star pitcher who led the league in strikeouts from 2022 to 2023 with 483 strikes, had 23 strikes in just 27 pitches on his Spring Training debut.

While Strider's outing has filled Braves fans with positivity the All-Star ace is not getting ahead of himself and believes there is still a lot of work to do before making his first start in the 2025 season.

“We need to be calm and not get ahead of ourselves,” Strider said. “Like with today, it’s an easy one to say, 'Well, I can pitch in a game right now,’ you know, and just start running. But that's a little over aggressive. It's a long run to where we want to go, and that's ultimately when I want to be my best for the team.”

Spencer Strider is not the only star returning to action this year as the Braves will also welcome back Ronald Acuna Jr. later this year for the first time after the former MVP's ACL tear last May.