Anderson is a candidate to start Game 1 of the NL Wild Card Series against the Padres on Tuesday, Mark Bowman of MLB.com reports.
Bowman stated that AJ Smith-Shawver and Bryce Elder are also in the mix, and it wouldn't be a surprise to see the club wait until closer to first pitch to announce who will get the start. Anderson hasn't pitched in the big league since 2022 but has impressive postseason numbers, as he's posted a 1.26 ERA and 1.04 WHIP with a 40:17 K:BB across 35.2 innings (eight starts).
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Braves' Ian Anderson: Looking ready at Triple-A
Rotowire
Anderson tossed six scoreless innings with three hits, two walks and seven strikeouts Thursday for Triple-A Gwinnett against Norfolk.
David O'Brien of The Athletic speculates that Anderson appears close to ready to help the big-league rotation after this strong outing on 93 pitches. Anderson had a 3.86 ERA, 1.20 WHIP and an 8:6 K:BB over 11.2 innings in his previous two starts at Triple-A, so things are trending up. The 26-year-old righty had Tommy John surgery in April of 2023 and began his rehab assignment two months ago. Grant Holmes has been holding his own as Atlanta's fifth starter and Reynaldo Lopez (forearm) is due back soon, so it's unclear when Anderson will get the call.
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Braves' Ian Anderson: Returns from Triple-A injured list
Rotowire
Triple-A Gwinnett reinstated Anderson (elbow) from its 60-day injured list Thursday.
Anderson made his 2024 debut for Gwinnett on Saturday, when he struck out four over 3.2 innings while giving up four earned runs on six hits and one walk in a no-decision against Charlotte. Before being activated from the IL, Anderson made four rehab starts across three levels, producing a 2.19 ERA and 10:1 K:BB in 12.1 innings over those outings. Anderson owns a 3.99 ERA over 266.1 career innings in the majors and still retains a spot on Atlanta's 40-man roster, but the 26-year-old hasn't appeared in the big leagues since 2022 after opening the 2023 season at Gwinnett and making one start before requiring Tommy John surgery last April. He'll likely need to string together several quality performances at Gwinnett before making a legitimate case for a return to the big leagues.
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Braves' Ian Anderson: Rehab transferred to Triple-A
Rotowire
Anderson (elbow) will start for Triple-A Gwinnett on Saturday, David O'Brien of The Athletic reports.
Saturday's outing will be Anderson's first at the Triple-A level and the fifth start of his rehab stint. The 26-year-old has been recovering from Tommy John surgery he underwent in April 2023 and worked up to 46 pitches in his last rehab outing. Anderson will likely only require one or two more starts before being activated, although it's not clear if Atlanta has a spot for him in the big-league rotation.
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Braves' Ian Anderson: On track for return after ASB
Rotowire
Anderson (elbow) threw three scoreless innings in a rehab start for Single-A Augusta on Sunday, allowing one hit and one walk while striking out one.
After two rehab starts in the Florida Complex League in which he posted a 7:0 K:BB over five innings while giving up just one run, Anderson got bumped up to Single-A and delivered another strong performance as he nears the finish line on his recovery from Tommy John surgery. The right-hander built up to 46 pitches (29 strikes) on Sunday, and he's expected to make at least two more rehab appearances before becoming an option for Atlanta's rotation after the All-Star break.
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Braves' Ian Anderson: Next rehab start to come Sunday
Rotowire
Anderson (elbow) threw three innings with Atlanta's Florida Complex League affiliate Monday, allowing one run on three hits while striking out three, and his next rehab start will come Sunday with a different affiliate, Justin Toscano of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.
The right-hander has been sitting 92-95 mph with his fastball during two appearances in the FCL, and the organization is pleased with his progress so far. "Reports are good, he feels good, all the numbers are good," manager Brian Snitker said Monday. Anderson is in the final stages of his recovery from April 2023 Tommy John surgery, but Atlanta seems likely to let him get fully built up in the minors before considering him for the big-league rotation. The team has yet to announce which level he'll be sent to for his next outing.
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Braves' Ian Anderson: Returning to mound
Rotowire
Anderson (elbow) will pitch in a Florida Complex League game Tuesday, Mark Bowman of MLB.com reports.
Anderson has been working his way back from the Tommy John surgery he underwent in April 2023 and Tuesday's outing will be his first in the recovery process. The right-hander will likely need to build up his workload over a series of weeks, including a multi-start rehab assignment before he'd be able to be activated from the minor-league 60-day injured list, but Tuesday is a welcome sign nonetheless.
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Braves' Ian Anderson: Goes on Triple-A IL
Rotowire
Triple-A Gwinnett placed Anderson on its 60-day injured list March 28.
Anderson remains on Atlanta's 40-man roster, but because he was optioned to Triple-A in March, he'll begin the season on Gwinnet's 60-day IL rather than the big club's. The right-hander isn't expected to be ready to pitch in games until the second half of the season while he completes his recovery from April 2023 Tommy John surgery.
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Braves' Ian Anderson: On course in recovery
Rotowire
Anderson is throwing long toss from 120 feet, and he's on schedule in his recovery from Tommy John surgery, David O'Brien of The Athletic reports.
The 25-year-old right-hander underwent surgery in April 2023 and is targeting a midseason return to the mound. Atlanta may not have room for him in its big-league rotation once he's ready for game action however, especially if Anderson can't regain the form that saw him produce a 3.58 ERA, 1.23 WHIP and 124:53 K:BB through 128.1 innings in 2021, before a rough 2022 may have provided an early signal that his elbow wasn't 100 percent. Anderson still has a minor-league option remaining, so it wouldn't be surprising if he spent the second half of 2024 at Triple-A Gwinnett.
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Braves' Ian Anderson: Aiming for midsummer return
Rotowire
Anderson (elbow) told reporters Tuesday that he's hoping to be ready to return by the middle of the summer, David O'Brien of The Athletic reports.
It's a vague timetable, which is not unexpected with Anderson about 10 months removed from Tommy John surgery. The right-hander also revealed that he's altered his delivery a bit since resuming a throwing program, dropping his arm angle so he's not as over-the-top as he used to be. Anderson showed initial promise but struggled in 2022 before missing nearly all of 2023, so Atlanta won't necessarily be counting on him to contribute in 2024.
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Braves' Ian Anderson: Undergoes Tommy John surgery
Rotowire
Anderson underwent Tommy John surgery on his right elbow Thursday.
It was announced Tuesday that Anderson would require the reconstructive elbow procedure for a tear of his right ulnar collateral ligament. The 24-year-old will be sidelined will miss the rest of the season and is likely to be out until at least next summer.
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Braves' Ian Anderson: Will undergo Tommy John surgery
Rotowire
Anderson (elbow) will require Tommy John surgery, Jeff Passan and Kiley McDaniel of ESPN.com report.
Anderson was placed on the injured list at Triple-A Gwinnett last Tuesday after struggling in his first start there, and he has since been diagnosed with a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow. The 24-year-old will be sidelined until sometime in 2024. He was excellent for Atlanta between 2020-2021 before stumbling to a 5.00 ERA, 1.51 WHIP and 97:54 K:BB in 111.2 major-league innings (22 starts) last season.
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Braves' Ian Anderson: Nursing sore elbow at Triple-A
Rotowire
Triple-A Gwinnett placed Anderson on its 7-day injured list Tuesday with a sore right elbow, Justin Toscano of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.
The injury likely explains why Anderson was hit hard while struggling with both his command and control in his season debut at Triple-A last Sunday. The severity of Anderson's elbow injury isn't known at this time, but he's presumably not going to be a rotation option for the big club anytime soon.
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Braves' Ian Anderson: Brutal start to Triple-A season
Rotowire
Anderson lasted only two-thirds of an inning for Triple-A Gwinnett on Sunday, surrendering six runs (four earned) on four hits and two walks with one strikeout.
While his defense did him no favors, three of the nine hitters who faced Anderson also launched home runs off the right-hander. After a tough 2022 and a shaky spring, this was not the way the 24-year-old wanted to kick off the new campaign, but it seems as though he's a long way from being ready for a promotion. Expect Bryce Elder to get the nod to join Atlanta's rotation when Max Fried (hamstring) is placed on the IL.
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Braves' Ian Anderson: Dispatched to Triple-A
Rotowire
Atlanta optioned Anderson to Triple-A Gwinnett on Tuesday.
The way the regular-season schedule lines up, Atlanta is going to need a fifth starter out of the gate. Bryce Elder was also optioned to Triple-A on Tuesday, so maybe that assignment will go to Jared Shuster or Dylan Dodd. Anderson, 24, posted a rough 5.00 ERA over 22 major-league starts in 2022 and was struggling to find the strike zone this spring in Grapefruit League play.
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Braves' Ian Anderson: Fans five in second outing
Rotowire
Anderson gave up an unearned run on one hit and two walks over 2.1 innings while striking out five in Sunday's Grapefruit League game against the Yankees.
Working behind Charlie Morton and entering the game in the fourth inning, Anderson faced a New York lineup that was a mix of regulars like Giancarlo Stanton and Gleyber Torres and younger players. The right-hander turned in a much better line than in his first spring appearance, but Anderson still wasn't exactly sharp, and he now sports a 6:5 K:BB through 3.2 Grapefruit League innings. If he can get the walks under control over the next couple weeks, Anderson should lock down the fifth starter role for Atlanta, but if he continues to have trouble finding the plate, Bryce Elder might leapfrog him on the depth chart.
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Braves' Ian Anderson: Starting Tuesday
Rotowire
Anderson will start Tuesday's Grapefruit League game against the Twins, Justin Toscano of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.
Anderson will be making his first start of the spring Tuesday. The right-hander is coming off a disappointing 2022 campaign in which he posted a 5.00 ERA with a 97:54 K:BB across 111.2 innings, but he isn't far removed from being one of the most intriguing young arms in the National League, and he's reportedly added a slider to his arsenal. Anderson will likely need a strong spring training to secure the No. 5 spot in the Atlanta rotation.
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Braves' Ian Anderson: Working on slider
Rotowire
Anderson is working on a slider, though he expects to continue to primarily throw his fastball and changeup, David O'Brien of The Athletic reports.
The 2016 third-overall pick cruised to a 3.25 ERA in 30 starts across his first two years in the league, but he stumbled to a 5.00 ERA in 22 outings last year. Still just 24 years old, there's plenty of time for him to recapture his previous form. It seems like he's doing the work to get there, as recent reports have also indicated that he's adjusted his delivery as well as his pitch mix. Even the revamped version of Anderson isn't a lock to open the year in Atlanta's rotation, however, as Mike Soroka (hamstring) and Bryce Elder will also get the chance to stake their claim.
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Braves' Ian Anderson: Revamps mechanics
Rotowire
Anderson underwent a biometric evaluation this offseason that helped him adjust his mechanics on the mound, Justin Toscano of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.
The 24-year-old struggled last season for one of the few times in his professional career, posting a 5.00 ERA over 111.2 big-league innings before a demotion to Triple-A Gwinnett in August, but Anderson used the offseason to make some adjustments to his delivery and approach. "One of the things I kind of told myself was, I don't want to get back to that guy, I want to be better than that guy," Anderson said Wednesday. "I think I can be. That's kind of been the driving force this offseason." As part of the process of becoming a better pitcher, he cleaned up his delivery and worked on maintaining his focus on the mound. Anderson will compete in camp with Mike Soroka, Bryce Elder and Kolby Allard for the final spot in Atlanta's Opening Day rotation.
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Braves' Ian Anderson: Shut down with strained oblique
Rotowire
Anderson suffered a strained left oblique during his most recent start at Triple-A Gwinnett on Sept. 8 and is expected to be sidelined for at least one month, David O'Brien of The Athletic reports.
Anderson lost his spot in the big-league rotation shortly after Atlanta acquired Jake Odorizzi from Houston ahead of the trade deadline, and the 24-year-old right-hander hadn't made a compelling case for returning to the majors following his demotion to Triple-A on Aug. 13. In his subsequent four outings with Gwinnett, Anderson turned in a 5.40 ERA, 1.62 WHIP and 23:10 K:BB in 21.2 innings before straining his oblique. The injury will almost certainly end Anderson's season, as Atlanta likely won't consider adding him to the postseason roster even if he's back to full strength by the middle of October.
