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

The hits keep coming for the Atlanta Braves’ bullpen. The team announced Tuesday that reliever Tyler Matzek has been placed on the 15-day injured list due to inflammation in his left elbow. The team recalled lefty reliever Ray Kerr to fill Matzek’s spot on the active roster.

Matzek missed all of the 2022 season while recovering from Tommy John surgery, but his start to the season hasn’t gone well. In 11 appearances, Matzek has allowed 16 hits and 11 runs in just 10 innings. His fastball velocity is averaging 93.9 mph for the season which is just about in line with where he was in 2022. It is about two ticks down from where he was in 2021. Over his past eight appearances, Matzek has allowed 14 hits and 11 runs in just 6 ²⁄₃ innings.

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

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