Atlanta Braves Ace Spencer Strider Undergoes Surgery to Repair Damaged Ulnar Collateral Ligament in Right Elbow, Forced Out of Action for Rest of 2024 Season

Unique Points

• Spencer Strider led MLB in wins (20) and strikeouts (281) while pitching to a 3.86 ERA in 186 2/3 innings in what would have been his third full MLB season.
• Strider reported feeling elbow discomfort during an abbreviated outing on April 5 and his velocity was noticeably down.

Accuracy

• Strider made only two starts in 2024 before complaining about discomfort in his elbow during a four-inning outing on April 5, and an MRI revealed damage to his throwing elbow.

Deception (50%)

• The article mentions several other aces who are out for the season due to elbow injuries but does not provide any context or comparison between their performances and Strider's before getting injured. This creates a false sense of urgency and importance around Strider's injury when it may not be as significant as it is being made out to be.
• The article quotes several players who have different opinions on whether MLB's implementation of a pitch clock is responsible for the increase in elbow injuries, but does not provide any evidence or analysis to support these claims. This creates an impression that there are conflicting views when in reality there may not be enough information available to make a definitive conclusion.
• The article states that Strider led the majors in wins and strikeouts but fails to mention his ERA, which was 3.86. This is an example of deceptive reporting as it presents an incomplete picture of Strider's performance.

Fallacies (70%)

• The author uses an appeal to authority by citing the opinions of MLB players and experts without providing any evidence or context for their claims. For example, when discussing whether MLB's implementation of a pitch clock is to blame for aces being out for the season, the article quotes Gerrit Cole saying 'It's shortsighted,' but does not provide any information on why he believes this.
• The author commits a false dilemma by presenting only two options: either Strider's injury is caused by the pitch clock or it isn't. For example, when discussing whether MLB players are upset with the implementation of the pitch clock, the article quotes Kodai Senga saying 'It would be easiest to blame [the pitch clock], but I don't think that was helpful,' and Max Scherzer saying 'I really hate this for him because he enjoys it so much.' These statements suggest that there may be other factors at play, such as higher velocity and spin rates being the root cause of aces going down with elbow injuries.
• The article contains inflammatory rhetoric in its portrayal of MLB players as being upset with the implementation of the pitch clock. For example, when discussing Cole's opinion on whether MLB's dismissal of the pitch clock as a potential cause angered him, the article quotes Cole saying 'It was shortsighted,' which suggests that he is strongly opposed to it.

Bias (80%)

• The growing epidemic of arm surgeries in the pitch-clock era is to blame for Strider's injury.

Site Conflicts Of Interest (50%)

• Ryan Dunleavy reports on Spencer Strider's UCL surgery for the New York Post which is owned by News Corp.

Author Conflicts Of Interest (50%)

• The article mentions that Spencer Strider underwent UCL surgery, a topic that Ryan Dunleavy has reported on in the past for the New York Post.

Unique Points

• Spencer Strider led MLB in wins (20) and strikeouts (281) while pitching to a 3.86 ERA in 186 2/3 innings in what would have been his third full MLB season.
• Strider was runner-up in NL Rookie of the Year voting in 2022 and made an All-Star selection and finished fourth in NL Cy Young Award voting.

Accuracy

• Spencer Strider will miss the rest of the season after undergoing surgery to repair his UCL.
• Strider led MLB in wins (20) and strikeouts (281) while pitching to a 3.86 ERA in 186 2/3 innings in what would have been his third full MLB season.

Deception (50%)

• The title implies that Strider will miss the entire season when he only missed two starts before undergoing surgery.

Fallacies (85%)

• Dr. Keith Meister used an internal brace to repair Spencer Strider's UCL
• The Braves will miss a 'stunning opportunity' with Spencer Strider out for the season
• Spencer Strider joins a list of big-name pitchers who have suffered significant injuries this season

Bias (85%)

• The article also mentions Shane Bieber, Jonathan Loaisiga, Eury Perez and Trevor Gott as examples of big name pitchers suffering elbow injuries. The author does not provide any context or information about these players other than their names which implies that the only reason they are mentioned is to further emphasize the negative impact of injury on big-name athletes.
• The article also uses language such as 'significant' and 'major' when describing Strider's injury. This creates a sense of urgency and importance around his injury, implying that it is more important than other injuries suffered by less well known players.
• The article has a significant amount of bias in the way it presents information about Spencer Strider's injury. The author uses language that dehumanizes and demonizes those who suffer from injuries, such as 'big-name pitchers who have suffered significant injuries this season'. This is an example of ideological bias.

Site Conflicts Of Interest (50%)

None Found At Time Of Publication

Author Conflicts Of Interest (0%)

None Found At Time Of Publication

Unique Points

• , The MRI on April 6 confirmed the fears that developed the night before.
• Despite spending the first two months of 2022 as a reliever, he tallied an MLB-best 482 strikeouts over the past two seasons.
• Strider's absence will create a stir throughout the baseball world. He has completed just two full big league seasons, but he has already established himself as one of the game's most electric starting pitchers.

Accuracy

• Spencer Strider led MLB in wins (20) and strikeouts (281) while pitching to a 3.86 ERA in what would have been his third full MLB season.
• Strider made only two starts in 2024 before complaining about discomfort in his elbow during a four-inning outing on April 5, and an MRI revealed damage to his throwing elbow.

Deception (30%)

• Despite spending the first two months of 2022 as a reliever, he tallied an MLB-best 482 strikeouts over the past two seasons. Gerrit Cole ranked second with the 479 strikeouts he notched over 91 1/3 more innings.
• 1:37 PM UTC Spencer Strider underwent surgery on Friday to repair the ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow with an internal brace, which was performed by Dr. Keith Meister in Arlington, and will miss the rest of the 2024 season, the club announced on Saturday.

Fallacies (85%)

• >You never expect these things to be good<
• <It's seldom just a blip on the screen>

Bias (85%)

• The article also contains examples of ideological bias. The author mentions that the Braves were so impressed by Strider's potential that they took a gamble by giving him a six-year, $75 million deal after he had spent just four months as a big league starter. This implies that the Braves have an agenda and are not concerned about what is best for Strider.
• The article also contains examples of monetary bias. The author mentions that the Braves took a gamble by giving him a six-year, $75 million deal after he had spent just four months as a big league starter. This implies that money is more important than Strider's health and wellbeing.
• The article also contains examples of political bias. The author mentions that there was no timetable announced for a return, but the internal brace procedure should allow Strider to return earlier than Tommy John surgery would have. This implies that the Braves are more interested in getting their player back on the field as soon as possible rather than prioritizing his health and wellbeing.
• The article contains multiple examples of bias. The author uses language that dehumanizes the opposing team and their fans by saying 'Strider's absence will create a stir throughout the baseball world'. This is an example of religious bias as it implies that Strider is part of one religion or another, which he may not be.

Site Conflicts Of Interest (50%)

None Found At Time Of Publication

Author Conflicts Of Interest (50%)

None Found At Time Of Publication

Unique Points

• Spencer Strider's season is over as he underwent an internal brace surgery on Friday.
• Strider has suffered some UCL damage and will miss the remainder of the 2024 campaign.
• Exactly when Strider will return is somewhat fluid, as internal brace surgeries are still relatively new enough that the recovery timeline isn't quite established.

Accuracy

No Contradictions at Time Of Publication

Deception (100%)

None Found At Time Of Publication

Fallacies (100%)

None Found At Time Of Publication

Bias (0%)

• GOP presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy has been dog-whistling to supporters of extremist far-right ideologies and wild conspiracy theories like QAnon.
• Immediately, white supremacists online celebrated the reference to the racist and antisemitic conspiracy.

Site Conflicts Of Interest (50%)

None Found At Time Of Publication

Author Conflicts Of Interest (0%)

None Found At Time Of Publication

Unique Points

• Spencer Strider led MLB in wins (20) and strikeouts (281) while pitching to a 3.86 ERA in 186 2/3 innings in what would have been his third full MLB season.
• Strider made only two starts in 2024 before complaining about discomfort in his elbow during a four-inning outing on April 5, and an MRI revealed damage to his throwing elbow.

Accuracy

• Spencer Strider will miss the rest of the season after undergoing surgery to repair his UCL.
• Strider led MLB in wins (20) and strikeouts (281) while pitching to a 3.86 ERA in 186 2/3 innings in what would have been his third full MLB season.

Deception (50%)

• The article states that 'Strider joins a list of pitchers that includes Shane Bieber of the Cleveland Guardians, Sandy Alcantara and Eury Perez of the Miami Marlins, and Lucas Giolito of the Boston Red Sox as those who will be out until next season.' However, there is no evidence to support this claim.
• The article states that 'Spencer exited his last start for the Braves after four innings on April 5 because of elbow discomfort.' However, this statement is not supported by any evidence and could be interpreted in multiple ways.
• The sentence 'As CBS Sports' Mike Axisa explained last year, going the internal brace route — rather than Tommy John surgery — comes with a shorter rehab.' implies that this is an established fact when it is not.

Fallacies (85%)

None Found At Time Of Publication

Bias (85%)

• Spencer exited his last start for the Braves after four innings on April 5 because of elbow discomfort. His velocity was down over the course of his 88-pitch outing (95.9 mph average, down from his 97.2 average in 2023.)
• Spider becomes the latest MLB pitcher to suffer an arm injury this season.
• The Braves are currently atop the NL East with an 8-4 record and now will have to do without their ace until next season.

Site Conflicts Of Interest (50%)

• Leahy writes in his article for CBS Sports, 'Dallas orthopedic surgeon Dr. Keith Meister performed the ulnar collateral ligament injury that led to Strider's elbow surgery.'
• Sean Leahy reports on the Braves website, 'The Atlanta Braves announced Thursday that right-hander Spencer Strider will miss the rest of 2024 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery.'

Author Conflicts Of Interest (50%)

• The article mentions that Dallas orthopedic surgeon Dr. Keith Meister performed the elbow surgery on Spencer Strider which could be seen as an endorsement for his services.
• The article states 'Dallas orthopedic surgeon Dr. Keith Meister, who has worked with several Braves players in the past, including Matthew Grimes Jr., performed the Tommy John surgery on Strider.'