Matzek (elbow) played catch Saturday, David O'Brien of The Athletic reports.
Matzek underwent Tommy John surgery in October and has reportedly been throwing since the end of May. The 32-year-old reliever still has a long way to go in his rehab process and almost certainly won't be ready to return until next season, but it's a good sign to see Matzek get back to throwing with a bit of velocity.
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Braves' Tyler Matzek: Shifts to 60-day IL
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Matzek (elbow) was placed on the 60-day injured list Thursday, retroactive to March 27.
Matzek's move to the 60-day IL was only a matter of time after he underwent Tommy John surgery in October. He was also dealing with a bulging disc in his back during spring training. The veteran left-hander will miss the entire 2023 campaign while recovering and rehabbing from the elbow procedure.
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Braves' Tyler Matzek: Recovering from bulging disc
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Matzek (elbow) is recovering from a bulging disc in his back, Justin Toscano of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.
The bulging disc is in addition to his ongoing recovery from Tommy John surgery. Matzek underwent the reconstructive elbow procedure in October and will miss the entire 2023 campaign. He should be fully recovered from both issues come the start of spring training in 2024.
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Braves' Tyler Matzek: Re-signs with Atlanta
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Matzek (elbow) signed a two-year, $3.1 million deal Friday that includes a $5.5 million club option for 2025.
Matzek underwent Tommy John surgery on his left elbow in October, so he will almost certainly miss all of the 2023 season. Still, the 32-year-old southpaw has a 2.92 ERA and 1.22 WHIP since joining the Braves in 2020, so it's not much of a surprise to see the team eager to lock him down for the next few years.
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Braves' Tyler Matzek: Getting Tommy John surgery
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Atlanta manager Brian Snitker said Matzek (elbow) will undergo Tommy John surgery Wednesday, Mark Bowman of MLB.com reports.
Earlier this week, Matzek was removed from Atlanta's roster ahead of the National League Division Series with the Phillies due to elbow discomfort, and follow-up tests evidently determined that the southpaw would need reconstructive surgery to address the issue. Even if Matzek meets the short end of the 12-to-16-month recovery timeline typical for Tommy John surgeries, he won't be available to pitch for Atlanta until at least the spring of 2024, when he'll be 33 years old. Matzek was a key piece out of the bullpen for Atlanta during last season's World Series run, but he had taken a slight step back during the 2022 campaign, logging a 3.50 ERA, 1.26 WHIP and 36:29 K:BB over 43.2 innings.
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Braves' Tyler Matzek: Misses NLDS roster with elbow issue
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Matzek is dealing with elbow discomfort and will not be on Atlanta's NLDS roster, Jesse Rogers of ESPN.com reports.
Matzek will be evaluated in Texas with the hopes of being cleared to play in the NLCS, should Atlanta get that far. The veteran lefty has been a shutdown arm in the last two postseasons, recording a combined 1.48 ERA and a 40.4 percent strikeout rate in 24.1 innings.
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Braves' Tyler Matzek: Collects third win
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Matzek (3-2) picked up the win Sunday over the Marlins, allowing one hit and striking out one in a scoreless eighth inning.
Atlanta was in a 1-0 hole when Matzek took the mound, but he kept the deficit from getting worse and was rewarded when his team rallied in the top of the ninth. The southpaw has two wins and a save in his last three appearances, and in 17 innings since the beginning of July he sports a 2.65 ERA and 1.12 WHIP, albeit with a lackluster 13:8 K:BB.
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Braves' Tyler Matzek: Nails down extra-innings save
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Matzek struck out two in a perfect 11th inning Tuesday to record his first save of the season in a win over the Red Sox.
Deadline acquisition Raisel Iglesias worked the eighth inning and closer Kenley Jansen the ninth, leaving the extra frames to the rest of the bullpen. Dylan Lee gave up a run in the 10th after Atlanta had taken a lead, but Matzek was able to get the job done in the 11th. The southpaw's control has wavered at times this season, and he sports a 3.86 ERA, 1.17 WHIP and 21:15 K:BB through 25.2 innings with a win and six holds in addition to Tuesday's save.
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Braves' Tyler Matzek: Rehab transferred to Triple-A
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Matzek (shoulder) had his rehab assignment transferred to Triple-A Gwinnett on Wednesday.
Matzek began his rehab stint at Single-A Augusta on Monday but didn't make any appearances, and he'll progress to the Triple-A level several days later. While the southpaw seems to be closing in on a return, it's not yet clear which day he'll be able to rejoin the major-league club.
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Braves' Tyler Matzek: Rehab start begins Monday
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Matzek (shoulder) will begin a rehab assignment Monday at Single-A Augusta, David O'Brien of The Athletic reports.
Matzek has been cleared for game action after he tossed a live batting practice session Saturday without issue. The 31-year-old has been sidelined since mid-May with shoulder inflammation and will likely need at least two rehab appearances before Atlanta brings him back from the 15-day injured list.
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Braves' Tyler Matzek: Closing in on rehab assignment
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Manager Brian Snitker said Wednesday that Matzek (shoulder) is on the cusp of beginning a rehab assignment, Maria Torres of The Athletic reports.
Matzek landed on the injured list with left shoulder inflammation in mid-May and was shut down for several weeks prior to beginning a throwing program in early June. The southpaw is slated to throw a side session in the coming days and will likely be cleared to join a minor-league affiliate if he feels good afterward.
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Braves' Tyler Matzek: Begins long toss
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Matzek (shoulder) was cleared to begin a long toss routine Friday, Gabriel Burns of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.
The southpaw has been sidelined for a month so far due to shoulder inflammation, but he's ready to take the next step in his recovery. Matzek doesn't appear to be particularly close to rejoining the Atlanta bullpen, and he might need a minor-league rehab assignment before being activated from the IL.
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Braves' Tyler Matzek: Shut down from throwing
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Matzek has no structural damage in his left shoulder and has been shut down from throwing for a couple weeks before being re-evaluated, Mark Bowman of MLB.com reports.
The left-hander underwent an MRI after landing on the injured list with shoulder inflammation Tuesday, and he's avoided a more serious injury. Matzek figures to be sidelined until at least mid-June, as he'll need some time to build his arm back up after the shutdown.
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Braves' Tyler Matzek: Officially moved to IL
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Atlanta placed Matzek on the 15-day injured list Tuesday with left shoulder inflammation, David O'Brien of The Athletic reports.
Just as manager Brian Snitker hinted would be the case following Monday's 1-0 loss to the Brewers, Matzek will hit the shelf while he contends with a shoulder issue that has dated back to his most recent relief appearance a week ago. Matzek is scheduled to leave the team's ongoing road trip to return to Atlanta for an MRI, which should verify whether or not he's dealing with something more significant than inflammation. Snitker mentioned that Spencer Strider could take on a more prominent role in the late-inning bridge to closer Kenley Jansen while Matzek is out of commission.
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Braves' Tyler Matzek: Sent to injured list
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Matzek was placed on the 15-day injured list Monday due to a shoulder injury, Justin Toscano of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.
It's unclear as to when the reliever suffered the injury, as he last pitched May 10 against Boston, tossing a scoreless frame. The severity of his injury remains unknown at this time, but he's set to undergo an MRI on Tuesday, per Toscano. Tucker Davidson will be recalled from Triple-A Gwinnett in a corresponding move and is scheduled to start Tuesday's matchup.
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Braves' Tyler Matzek: Picks up third hold
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Matzek collected his third hold of the season Friday, walking one and striking out three over 1.1 scoreless innings in a win over the Marlins.
The 31-year-old southpaw has looked good to begin the campaign as he fills a setup spot in front of closer Kenley Jansen. Over five appearances and 5.1 innings, Matzek has a 1.69 ERA, 0.56 WHIP and 5:2 K:BB.
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Braves' Tyler Matzek: Set to earn $1.4M in 2022
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Matzek and Atlanta agreed Tuesday on a one-year, $1.4 million deal to avoid arbitration.
A first-round pick of the Rockies in 2009, Matzek's career appeared to be on life support over the latter half of the last decade while he dealt with significant command woes in the minors. Since catching on with Atlanta late in 2019, however, Matzek has staged an impressive comeback while emerging as a key reliever for the big club. He'll be rewarded with a $1.4 million deal for 2022 after he finished last season with 24 holds to go with a 2.57 ERA, 1.22 WHIP and 77:37 K:BB across 63 innings.
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Braves' Tyler Matzek: Earns pennant-clinching win
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Matzek picked up the win in Game 6 of the NLCS against the Dodgers on Saturday, striking out four batters across a pair of scoreless innings.
Atlanta starter Ian Anderson was ineligible for the win after throwing just four innings, so Matzek received the well-deserved honor. The lefty entered with none out in the top of the seventh and the tying run on second base but proceeded to strike out Albert Pujols, Steven Souza and Mookie Betts. He remained in the game for the eighth inning and retired the side. It's been a remarkable postseason for the veteran, who appeared in five of the six NLCS games against the Dodgers after appearing in all four NLDS games against the Brewers. He's allowed just two runs on four hits in 10.1 innings over that run, striking out 17 while walking four.
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Braves' Tyler Matzek: Control wavering
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Matzek walked two batters in a scoreless ninth inning Tuesday during a loss to the Mets.
The southpaw is having trouble finding the plate right now, issuing five free passes over his last two appearances, but none of the baserunners came around to score. Matzek has a 2.08 ERA but a 1.50 WHIP over his last 10 games, posting an 8:8 K:BB through 8.2 innings during that stretch, and his luck may not hold much longer if he doesn't find a little more control.
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Braves' Tyler Matzek: Suffers loss in strong inning
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Matzek (0-1) allowed a single and struck out the side in the 10th inning, getting the loss in Wednesday's 6-5 defeat against Miami.
Another casualty of the rule putting a runner on second to start extra innings, Matzek suffered the loss despite pitching phenomenally. After yielding a leadoff RBI double, the flame-throwing lefty struck out the next three batters on 12 pitches, only one of which was a ball. Matzek struggled with control in spring training and in his first few regular-season appearances, but he hasn't walked a batter in his last three innings pitched. The veteran's ERA remains at 0.00 through 5.2 early season innings, and he looks capable of replicating his breakout performance from 2020.
