The Braves signed left-hander Tyler Matzek to a minor league contract on August 31, according to the veteran reliever’s MLB.com profile page. Matzek was assigned to Triple-A Gwinnett today. In signing prior to September 1, Matzek would be eligible for the Braves’ postseason roster.
Matzek is of course no stranger to playoff baseball in Atlanta, as he was a key member of the Braves’ bullpen during their World Series championship run in 2021. He posted more solid numbers during the 2022 campaign but missed out on another playoff run due to a Tommy John surgery in October of that year. After missing the entire 2023 season rehabbing from the surgery, Matzek returned to action this year, but had a 9.90 ERA over 10 Major League innings for the Braves.
A bout of elbow inflammation sent Matzek to the injured list in May, and he hasn’t since pitched in the big leagues. Atlanta traded Matzek to the Giants as part of the Jorge Soler deal at the deadline, and Matzek pitched in five games with the Giants’ Triple-A squad before San Francisco released the southpaw earlier this week.
Matzek now returns to the Braves organization after just over a month away, and he’ll likely continue to work things out in Gwinnett to see if he can find his old form. His brief time at Triple-A Sacramento didn’t bear much fruit, as Matzek had a 5.79 ERA over the small sample size of 4 2/3 innings pitched. The Braves have a penchant for reuniting with former players and there’s no risk in adding Matzek to the Triple-A roster, plus Atlanta is already on the hook anyway for the remainder of his $1.9MM salary for the 2024 season.