Spencer Strider injury looms as Braves dig early hole, drop opener at Mets

A loss in the first game of the season against the New York Mets was bad for the Atlanta Braves.

The loss of Spencer Strider to right arm soreness during his start was worse.

Strider’s departure after his fastball plummeted to 88-89 mph in the fourth inning overshadowed Atlanta’s 7-5 loss in Queens, N.Y. Friday night.

Mind you, it wasn’t a good start before the velocity dropped for Strider, who allowed a season-high seven runs on six hits — including three home runs — in three-plus innings.

But the optics of another apparent arm injury for a player who has been plagued by them of late are much worse than just a bad start, looming over a starting rotation which should get healthier in the coming weeks and months but isn’t quite there yet.

It didn’t seem the Braves were going to be in a competitive game when Strider exited in a 6-2 game which quickly became 7-2 when an inherited runner scored. Bo Bichette and Juan Soto hit back-to-back homers in the first off Strider.

After Atlanta scored two of its own in the second — before failing to take the lead with the bases loaded and no outs — the Mets reclaimed the lead in the bottom of the inning on another Bichette homer, this one a wall-scraping grand slam.

Credit to JR Ritchie, who was tasked with a bulk-relief appearance in his return to the major league level, for stabilizing things. He allowed the inherited run from Strider on a single to the first batter he faced and then a Bichette sacrifice fly for his sixth RBI.