The Atlanta Braves received troubling news Friday night when ace pitcher Spencer Strider left a 7-5 loss to the New York Mets in the fourth inning due to soreness in his right shoulder and elbow, raising concerns about the health of one of baseball’s premier power pitchers.Strider exited after facing just one batter in the fourth inning at Citi Field. The right-hander endured one of his roughest outings of the season, allowing seven earned runs on six hits in three-plus innings while striking out three. He surrendered three home runs, including a grand slam to Bo Bichette, who finished with six RBIs in New York’s victory.Following the game, Braves manager Walt Weiss acknowledged the seriousness of the situation.“It’s never good when a guy walks off the field,” Weiss said. “We’ll get the images taken and we’ll see what they say. But it doesn’t look great as we stand here right now.”The first warning signs came when Strider’s fastball velocity dropped dramatically into the upper 80s. Weiss said the coaching staff became alarmed after noticing the unusual decline from the flamethrower who typically sits in the mid-to-upper 90s.Injury raises rotation concernsThe injury scare is especially concerning given Strider’s recent history. He underwent a UCL repair with an internal brace in April 2024 and missed the first 34 games of this season with a strained left oblique before returning to the rotation in May.Strider has a 4-2 record and a 5.31 ERA through eight starts this season. Despite some inconsistency since returning from injury, he remains a critical piece of Atlanta’s championship aspirations.Now, the Braves and their fans await imaging results that could determine not only Strider’s immediate future but also the outlook for Atlanta’s rotation as the club continues its push atop the National League standings.More MLB news:5 reasons to believe in Jordan Walker's breakout for CardinalsEx-MLB GM projects White Sox to sell at trade deadline despite 2026 successTarik Skubal being traded by Tigers would help him in free agencyYankees’ Ryan McMahon problem has a $25 million release solution Phillies extending Cristopher Sanchez to his $107 million deal was genius