Breaking: Braves suffer another setback as pitcher enters injury list

On Tuesday, the Atlanta Braves’ bullpen suffered another setback when left-handed pitcher Tyler Matzek was placed on the 15-day disabled list due to inflammation in his left elbow.

This move follows the addition of right-handed pitcher Pierce Johnson to the same list on Sunday due to discomfort in his right elbow.

Matzek was placed on the disabled list after allowing three runs in two innings against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Saturday night, resulting in an 11-2 loss for the Braves. Matzek, 33, has struggled this season, with a 9.90 ERA in 11 games and 11 runs allowed over 10 innings.

Matzek contributed significantly to the Braves’ 2021 World Series victory, posting an ERA of 2.57 over 69 games. However, he had Tommy John surgery on his left elbow in 2022, which forced him to miss the whole 2023 season.

Braves manager Brian Snitker said that Matzek complained about elbow pain on Monday, the team’s off day. Snitker stated that inflammation following Tommy John surgery is typical and underlined the need of appropriately controlling it to guarantee Matzek’s complete recovery.

To cover the void left by Matzek’s absence, the Braves promoted left-handed pitcher Ray Kerr from Triple-A Gwinnett before their Tuesday night game against the Boston Red Sox.