Braves place Tyler Matzek on 15-day injured list, recall Ray Kerr

The hits continue to come in for the Atlanta Braves bullpen. The team announced Tuesday that reliever Tyler Matzek had been placed on the 15-day injured list with inflammation in his left elbow. The team recalled left-handed reliever Ray Kerr to fill Matzek’s spot on the active roster.

Matzek missed the entire 2022 season while recovering from Tommy John surgery, but his start to the season did not go well. In 11 appearances, Matzek allowed 16 hits and 11 runs in just 10 innings. His fastball velocity is averaging 93.9 mph for the season, which is about in line with where he was in 2022. That’s about two ticks less than he was in 2021.

The Braves acquired Kerr from the Padres during the offseason. He has appeared in nine games in Gwinnett where he has a 4.50 ERA, 6.41 FIP and 2.93 xFIP in 14 innings. Kerr has 22 strikeouts and just five walks in those 14 innings.

This is the bullpen’s second injury in less than a week. Pierce Johnson was placed on the 15-day injured list with his own elbow inflammation over the weekend.