Atlanta Braves playoff hero Tyler Matzek hits IL, sounding the death knell of an era

Atlanta Braves reliever Tyler Matzek played a vital role in the 2021 World Series, but his 2024 year got off to a rocky start. He allowed 11 earned runs in 10 innings, giving him a 9.90 ERA. Although his FIP of 5.94 is much better, he remains one of the worst relievers in baseball by that metric.

Matzek missed the entire 2023 season while recovering from Tommy John surgery, and today the Braves placed the reliever on injured reserve with left elbow inflammation. To replace him on the roster, the team recalled Ray Kerr from Gwinnett.

Clearly, Matzek’s stuff wasn’t fooling hitters. Even though he was striking out batters and walking batters at a higher level than he was in 2022, when batters made contact, which they often did, they ground the ball.

The 33-year-old has a whiff rate in the second percentile and a barrel rate in the first percentile, meaning he’s been one of the worst pitchers this season, both in allowing contact and allowing hard hits at an optimal launch angle.

The result was three long balls against just 48 total batters. That’s tied for the most home runs he’s allowed in a Braves uniform, as he’s allowed three home runs in 2021 and 2022, but has faced more than three times as many batters.

By placing Matzek on the IL, the Braves hope the time off can straighten the left-hander’s elbow and give the next man up, Ray Kerr, a chance to prove himself.

In Gwinnett this season, Kerr struck out 37.3 percent of the batters he faced, although he, too, was plagued by the long ball, allowing five bombs in 14 innings. He has a 4.50 ERA.

If Matzek isn’t able to return to form upon his return from the IL, we could see the end of an era with him in a Braves uniform.

In 2019, Jonny Venters started the season with the Braves but struggled in his first six games. The team placed him on the IL on April 15 and he returned from the IL on May 10. He received three additional matches and was released on May 18.

This could be a similar trajectory for Matzek, who could become a free agent at the end of the season. Once Matzek returns, if he doesn’t have competitive hardware, the Braves could move on from him early to either give relievers like Kerr an extended shot or target a reliever via a trade to strengthen the bullpen.

Of course, even if the Braves let go of Matzek in the coming months, he will still be a Brave thanks to his stellar performance in the 2021 playoffs that earned the Braves their first championship since 1995.

Before joining the Braves in 2020, Matzek hadn’t pitched since 2015, when he spent years trying to overcome the yips. The Braves gave him a chance in 2020 and he quickly became an integral part of the bullpen.

He was perhaps the best Night Shift in the 2021 playoffs. His 12.47% cWPA was the highest among pitchers in the 2021 NLCS, no thanks to one of the boldest outings you’ll ever have never seen in Game 6, where the left-hander struck out three in a row after entering the game with runners at 2B and 3B.

Mookie Betts, who had the last strikeout, said this year the Braves reliever was impossible to hit. If this version of Tyler Matzek can return, the Braves are lucky but only time will tell.