The return of Tyler Matzek, their not-so-secret weapon, excites the Braves.

Left-hander Matzek, who helped the Braves win the World Series in 2021 and was a playoff hero for the team, struggled with elbow and back pain in 2022 and missed the whole 2023 season while recovering from Tommy John surgery in October of the same year. Early in spring training, he was in good health and throwing without any limitations.

On Thursday, Matzek stated, “I’m feeling extremely well, especially in the last like week and a half, two weeks.” “Everything is coming together, and the timing is becoming better.” Everything has a really pleasant feeling. When I turned it down in October 2023, after a year of rehabilitation, it felt wonderful and truly nice. And since returning, everything has gone just as it should have.

After Game 6 of the 2021 NLCS against the Dodgers, Tyler Matzek cemented his spot in Braves history. Michael Zarrilli’s photo via Getty Images)

After recovering from elbow surgery sixteen months prior, Matzek is anticipated to be included on the Opening Day roster unless it is determined that he needs to play a few more games following spring training to get his game in order. If that were the case, Matzek would probably complete a quick rehab stint before joining the Braves a few weeks into the year.

In either case, Matzek may be among the most important players in a strong bullpen. Matzek’s demeanor and bravado are contagious, whether he’s in the clubhouse, on the mound, or outside in the bullpen during a game.

When questioned on Friday about what it would mean to have Matzek back at or near his previous level, Braves manager Brian Snitker responded, “Awesome.” “We all recall his location when he fell and the significance he held for us. Just having him back and performing at his best may be really beneficial to us.

In Game 6 of the 2021 NL Championship Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers, Matzek made history by entering the game in the seventh inning with two runners in scoring position and no outs. The Braves were leading 4-2, and Matzek was aiming to limit the damage to a run.

He far exceeded that, striking out the following three hitters, Albert Pujols, Steven Souza Jr., and Mookie Betts, to infuse noisy Truist Park with energy and boost the Braves’ already skyrocketing confidence. In a flawless eighth inning, he struck out once more, and the Braves prevailed to seal the NLCS.

Then, in six games, they defeated Houston in the World Series.

In 13 of Atlanta’s 16 postseason games, Matzek started in the mound. In 15 2/3 innings, he gave up 24 strikeouts and 4 walks while giving up 10 hits, 3 runs, and a pitiful.492 OPS. That incredible three-and-a half-week performance solidified his place in Braves history.

Matzek was one of the mainstays of a swaggering bullpen, along with two other lefties, A.J. Minter and then-closer Will Smith. Because of control troubles following a bout of “the yips” and a subsequent battle with depression, Matzek was out of the majors for more than four years and out of affiliated ball of any type for three seasons. This is what made his tale so inspirational.

The Braves signed him to a minor-league contract out of independent ball in 2019. He joined the big league team during the pandemic-shortened 2020 season and recorded a 2.64 ERA in 90 appearances during the 2020–2021 season, along with 120 strikeouts in 92 innings of regular season play. Next was an outstanding performance during the 2021 postseason.

“Having a guy like Matzek who has been there before rubs off on all the players who haven’t been there before because he’ll speak his mind on anything and provide his counsel,” d’Arnaud remarked. “Having him back would be incredibly huge.”

Matzek’s playoff success in 2021 only made things harder for him when he was cut from the team prior to the NL Division Series against Philadelphia in October of 2022. He attempted to pitch despite the worsening elbow pain, but in the final four weeks of the regular season, he was charged with nine appearances, eleven innings pitched, twelve walks, and six runs. After receiving a diagnosis of a ruptured ligament, he had TJ surgery.

That season, he experienced occasional back pain, and Matzek thinks that adjusting for it resulted in the elbow injury. He was diagnosed with a bulging disc in his back in spring training, early in the TJ recovery process. He took injections to help the disk settle down before he resumed his rehab.

He remarked that the back was fully pain-free now.

When Matzek wasn’t quite a full year into his rehabilitation and wasn’t even a contender for the postseason roster, the Braves fell to the Phillies in a four-game NL Division Series in 2022 and again in another four-game NLDS last October. Rehab following total joint replacement surgery was once a 12-month process, but it is now more like 14–16 months due to research indicating longer recuperation was more sensible and had better long-term outcomes.

For Matzek, suffering through successive Octobers of helplessness was terrible.

He remarked, “Unfortunately, I had to miss two postseasons.” “I wanted to be there to support the men in their victory. We’ll see, but perhaps I can make it before the end of the year.

The Braves acquired veteran lefty Aaron Bummer and another hard-throwing lefty reliever, Ray Kerr, via trades during the previous winter. Both Kerr and lefty Dylan Lee, who is back to full strength after missing much of the previous season due to shoulder problems, have options in the minor leagues and may start in Triple A if necessary.

The Braves signed flamethrowing reliever Reinaldo López, who is being stretched out to start but may move to the bullpen if the Braves determine he’s better suited and/or needed there. They also re-signed hard-throwing setup men Pierce Johnson and Joe Jiménez, neither of whom were on the team the last time Matzek pitched.

They bring back Minter, one of the most reliable and successful lefties in baseball over several seasons, and closer Raisedl Iglesias. In 2023, Minter closed at the start of the bullpen when Iglesias began on the disabled list and was occasionally the only healthy lefty in the pen.

“He was rather mistreated,” Matzek commented, gesturing to Minter, who was a few lockers below him. “Over the past few years, he has been quite busy.” Relievers are exposed more when they toss a lot, in my opinion. When we are not required to throw every day, we do better. Since Mint isn’t required to toss every game, I am eager to see what he will do.

The Braves have more high-leverage alternatives than Snitker has ever had, and likely more than any Braves manager in history, along with a wealth of proven bullpen quality.

“We won 88 games that (World Series) year, and a few (bullpen) players were carrying a ton of weight,” Matzek remarked. We can spread that load across the entire bullpen now that we have the pen, which should help us win over 100 games. Thus, I’m sure things will go well.

There, we’re fully filled. There are a tonne of possibilities available to us. Men can maintain their health. We have other players that can go in and finish the job, so they won’t have to throw on short rest. Therefore, it will be entertaining to see. I’m eager to take part in it.