Atlanta Adds Former Braves Killer to Roster as Playoff Hero Joins IL for 60 Days

The Atlanta Braves have continued to be active in roster changes this season. Catcher Chadwick Tromp was optioned to Triple-A Gwinnett after Sunday’s win over the Athletics and left the active roster at 25 players.

The team made no announcement Monday because it was a day off, but it announced Tuesday afternoon that it had signed former Braves hitman Brian Anderson to a major league contract. He will be active for Tuesday night’s game with the Red Sox.

Atlanta fans probably remember Brian Anderson for always hitting well against the Braves when the Marlins were in town. He always found a way to get a big hit when Miami needed one against Atlanta.

From 2018-20, Anderson was one of Miami’s best bats with a .266/.350/.436 line including 42 home runs, 74 doubles and a 112 OPS+ over 1,333 at-bats. He looked very promising, but injuries plagued him from 2020 to 2022, when his tenure in Miami ended.

Anderson signed with the Milwaukee Brewers and appeared in 96 games in 2023 before being designated for assignment. He finished the season with a .226 average and 72 hits, including 12 doubles, nine home runs, 40 RBIs, 36 walks and 108 strikeouts.

So it’s not the same level of production or success he had in Miami, but he did sign a minor league contract with the Mariners for the 2024 season. Anderson recently opted out of that deal. He spent the season with the Mariners’ Triple-A affiliate, and in 176 plate appearances, he had a .270/.358/.439 slash line, including six home runs, seven doubles, 28 RBIs and an OPS of .797.

He hasn’t had any luck at the MLB level, but he will give the Braves a right-hander off the bench who has the potential to return to his old self. Whether or not that will happen remains to be seen, but it’s nice to have an extra bat on the bench.

The unfortunate part of this deal is that left-handed reliever and 2021 playoff hero Tyler Matzek was moved to the 60-day IL. Matzek had attempted to return from Tommy John surgery, but his reduced speed and diminished command didn’t hold promise going into 2024.

Matzek was placed on a 15-day IL in May with elbow inflammation and was prevented from throwing. This is not the news you want as a pitcher recovering from major surgery. Fortunately, Atlanta has great pitching depth and losing them wasn’t the biggest blow.

However, his placement on the 60-day IL almost feels like the end of his time with the Braves. He is currently receiving $1.9 million for 2024 and is in the second year of a two-year, $3.1 million extension. He has a club option for 2025. If anyone can bounce back from this sort of thing, it’s Matzek, but it’s certainly not a great feeling.

He gave his all for this team and will always be remembered for this incredible two-inning performance against the Dodgers in the 2021 NLCS. We may be nearing the end of an era, but we hope he is able to recover and return to the big leagues as soon as possible.

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