Braves reliever Tyler Matzek discusses his injury and current progress

When the Braves saw the MRI, they wanted to send it to Dr. Keith Meister for evaluation. In 2022, Meister performed Tommy John surgery on Matzek in Arlington, Texas. Meister wanted to see Matzek to make sure his elbow was OK. Meister reviewed Matzek’s MRI.

Matzek said it turned out to be something he and the Braves knew they couldn’t “joke about.” They agreed to give him about six weeks to heal and to be cautious. (In their description of the injury, the Braves called it “left elbow inflammation.”)

Meister used the term “flexor signaling” with Matzek. The left-handed reliever asked Meister if it was just inflammation.

“He said, ‘The MRI just tells me there’s something wrong here, and we need to let it settle down,’” Matzek recalled. “So we did, and I feel fantastic, and when I checked out, everything looked fine. He said the lumbar collateral ligament looked fantastic, so I’m happy about that.”

Tommy John surgery is to repair a damaged ACL. It’s good news that Matzek’s ACL held up. It’s not uncommon for pitchers to get injured after returning from Tommy John — the process is rarely linear.

Matzek last appeared on May 4. He hasn’t pitched in two months, but he’s made progress.

Matzek has been pitching for a few weeks. He’s been throwing long pitches up to 105 feet. The goal is to throw 120 feet before stepping on the mound. Throwing off the mound is what will give Matzek and the Braves the best information on how long it will be before the lefty can return to the bullpen.

“I don’t want to give a specific date because I don’t know exactly,” Matzek said. “Once we get off the mound, we’ll really start to figure out how much work I’m going to have to do to be game-ready. We’re still in the preparation phase, and once we’re ready (to pitch from a mound), then we can decide, ‘Okay, where are the skills at right now?’”

Before being placed on injured reserve, Matzek couldn’t fully extend his arm when he threw. His flexor tendon was bothering him.

In 10 innings with the Braves before being placed on the disabled list, Matzek allowed 11 earned runs. Opponents scored against him in five of his 11 appearances.

Matzek became a fan favorite with his 2021 postseason outing. He authored one of the best moments in Braves postseason history when he struck out three straight Dodgers to escape a jam in the Braves’ clinching win over Los Angeles.

In October 2022, Matzek visited Meister and underwent Tommy John surgery. He was sidelined for the entire 2023 season.

Matzek will be a free agent this winter if the Braves don’t pick up his $5.5 million club option.

He’s a competitor. If you’ve ever watched the Braves, you know how much he cares. He wants to pitch.

So, missing even more time after being out all of 2023 following Tommy John surgery?

“I’ll be honest: It sucks. But that’s just the way it is, it’s part of the game,” Matzek said. “These things happen. From what I’ve heard, ACL surgery is very rarely easy: You get a year off and then you get back on the field. Almost always, they have something for you. So I think that’s part of the process. I’m just going to embrace it and do everything I can to get back on the field as quickly as possible.”