Braves starter Ian Anderson suffered a left oblique strain while pitching with Triple-A Gwinnett, reports David O’Brien of the Athletic (Twitter link). O’Brien indicates he’ll miss at least a month, while Justin Toscano of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution tweets he’s expected to be out four-to-six weeks.
Even if Anderson makes it back within a month, he won’t pitch again in the regular season. There’s exactly three weeks remaining on the schedule, with the season wrapping up on October 5. Anderson could theoretically be available at some time during the playoffs, but it’s hard to envision the Braves carrying him on a series roster at this point. Even if Atlanta advances deep enough in the postseason Anderson’s healthy enough to return, he won’t have much a chance to build back into game shape. High-A Rome is the Braves’ only full-season affiliate that’ll make the playoffs, and they’re already playing postseason games. Their season will wrap up well before Anderson has a chance of getting back on a mound.
It’s not a given the 24-year-old would’ve gotten a playoff opportunity even if he had been fully healthy. Anderson has spent the past month in Triple-A after getting squeezed out of the big league rotation. That came on the heels of an even 5.00 ERA with a career-worst 19.7% strikeout percentage and a lofty 11% walk rate through 22 MLB starts. He’d certainly not have been a part of a playoff rotation, and players like Jake Odorizzi, Mike Soroka, Bryce Elder and perhaps Freddy Tarnok are all multi-inning relief candidates behind the presumptive top four starters: Spencer Strider, Max Fried, Charlie Morton and Kyle Wright.
In all likelihood, this injury closes the books on a rough season for Anderson. The former 3rd overall pick looked to have cemented himself as a mid-rotation arm in Atlanta through his first two big league campaigns. The changeup specialist carried a career 3.25 ERA into the 2022 season, and he allowed only three runs in 15 innings across four starts during last year’s World Series run. This year’s downturn came as a surprise, but Anderson still averages around 94 MPH on his fastball and actually induced swinging strikes this season at a 12.3% rate that’s narrowly a career best. That offers some hope he can iron things out in 2023 and beyond.
Anderson will continue to count against Atlanta’s 40-man roster while he’s on the minor league injured list. He won’t be paid a big league salary or collect MLB service during that time, although he’s already surpassed the two-year service threshold in 2022. He’s on track to reach arbitration for the first time after next season and is controllable through 2026.
What a bummer. Good luck Ian!
Anderson sucks anyway, just like 2/3 of the Braves rotation that will get smacked around come playoff time. LFGM!
Do you speak for all Mets fans Metsfan22 ?
I would swap Jensen/Iglesias in the 8th and 9th inning slots and put Ozuna on the bench as a pinch hitter the rest of the year. Robbie Grossman at this point is a far better player at this point than Ozuna. Hopefully Albies is about to be brought up his bat has finally came alive the last couple game in Gwinnett where he was 6-9. I like Ian Anderson but this hasn’t been his year and there are reinforcements at AAA in Elder,Muller,Tarnok. I have seen enough of Odorizzi starting and he’s probably best suited as a long man in blow outs at this point. Let’s see what the young starting pitchers at AAA can do.
Angriest little Mutts troll back for yet another slobbering rant on a Braves article. Where have you been little troll? You haven’t been around much while the Mutts choked away their 10-1/2 game Division lead. Speaking of getting smacked around, that was some kind of series vs the Cubs for your Mutts. Hope you enjoy watching the Braves excel again this post season. I’d wish you better luck next season w/your aging gang of over paid losers, but I wouldn’t mean it—-so I won’t.
Why don’t you just mute him?
Because it mutes everyone else in the conversation thread that he’s in.
Bold from a fan who’s team choked away a 10 game lead and has very little health in the starting rotation. Oh might I add a gram that hasn’t won in forever…..
Fool
Give him the rest of the season off. Don’t start Odorizzi again either and let Muller/Elder fight it out for the final spot.
Also, enough with Acuna leading off. He doesn’t have it this season. The lower lineup in out producing the top half. Switch it around a bit.
Really hope Ian figures it out. He’s been so good in the postseason, would hate to see him just fall apart.
Sucks, but with the way he was throwing there’s no way he’d even be a consideration for the post season roster or travel squad if that’s still a thing.
Career 4-0 1.26 ERA in 35.2 postseason IP…no consideration at all.
None. Why’s he in AAA? I’m sure it has nothing to do with him pitching to a 5.00 ERA. Who’s place is he taking? C’mon man.
I think this would be a great buy-low opportunity for a team like the Cubs, who aren’t ready to go all-in yet, but still looking for bargains and diamonds in the rough. However, this guy is more diamond than rough IMO. I still believe in him, and the way he slows his heartbeat down in the postseason is impressive. Braves could dangle him in order to get a SS to replace Dansby if he leaves.
Sure, he’s a bad year. But look at his postseason ERA…and he’s 24. 24. ATL has the money to replace Dansby with someone better. They’re not selling low on Ian. Get him right in the off-season while he’s cheap.
Who are you thinking they should get to replace Swanson?
If the idea is to sign a cheap stopgap as insurance if Grissom struggles, I wouldn’t mind Jose Iglesias. Obviously, he offers no power, but he’ll come cheap on a one-year deal, which would be the entire point of letting Dansby walk to save money for other parts of the club.
Yeah, but he didn’t say he wanted to replace him with someone cheaper to save money. He said they have the money “to replace Dansby with someone better.”
Linked to Correa if/ when he opts out of his deal w/ the Twins. They were linked to him last year too.
Grissom doesn’t play anywhere near good enough defense to man SS in MLB. He’s destined to be a 3B on a team that’s not the Braves or a LF.
Vaughn Grissom could (should) be the heir apparent to SS, if the Braves aren’t going to try to retain Dansby Swanson.
Grissom defensive is being exposed as not very good even at 2b. Couple plays Tuesday night that cost Atlanta that he should have made. I think there is a very high chance that Atlanta resigns Swanson. Grissom would be a defensive disaster all year at short.
Correa will not be in Atlanta. He doesn’t fit the character of the Braves. If the Braves loose Swanson and going spend big for shortstop replacement on the Correa level pretty sure it would be Trea Turner. With the larger bases in 2023 Turner most likely will
have 40-50 steals
The Braves won’t spend for Turner, if they don’t re-sign Swanson. They’re more likely to go for a Jose Iglesias type player on a short contract, 1-2 years.
Hope AA doesn’t use that strategy bham. They don’t have a SS in the upper minors that’s anywhere near ready. Grissom isn’t an answer to the Braves SS dilemma if they let Swanson leave. He can’t even play acceptable defense at 2B. Weak arm, too awkward/clumsy, questionable range, no instinct on short outfield popups. Doubt he’ll ever be a contender’s SS or 2Bman. Imo, he’ll be lucky to carve out a career as a ML left fielder. Going to be a terrible mistake if they fail to re-sign Swanson—especially if they count on Grissom as his replacement. Signing Iglesias is a second division move, not what a contender does.
Is Shewmake that far off still…?
Shewmake was mediocre at best this year in AAA and his season ended w/a left knee injury that resulted in posterior cruciate ligament knee surgery (PCL) Aug 10. Reported that recovery time is approximately 2 months. Another infielder in the upper levels of the system w/a ceiling of utility infielder. He’d be a huge downgrade as a Swanson replacement. AAA stats: triple slash .259/.316/.399 wOBA .317 wRC+ 82 BB% 7.5 K% 18.6 ISO .140 BABIP .298 76
games 307 pa 7 hr 25 rbi 9 sb.
I hope I’m wrong, Jeff, but AA is a value shopper. If he doesn’t get Dansby, he’ll get defense-first guys on one-year contracts because they’re cheaper, until he finds a hidden gem. It wouldn’t surprise me much if Adrianza is the starter.
Lol. They’ve got $50-$80m a year to play with after arbitration increases for next year if $230m is a Liberty Media hard cap. They’ll have the same team next year minus Morton $20m (retire), Jansen $16m, and Dansby if they can’t work something out w/ him coming off the books + what Liberty has said they’re throwing in b/c the team is good and maxes out attendance and the attendees spend a bunch of money on the Battery they also get a cut of.
So, yeah. They’re in pretty good shape going forward.
sportstalkatl.com/braves-dont-count-out-a-carlos-c…
Arcia’s under contract for next season. Probably him before Adrianza bham. Both are miserable alternatives.
The cited something Ken Rosenthol wrote. That’s the point. I have no idea who they are other than they show up in Google.
Epic response. Much appreciated. Bummer to hear he’s not taking strides / getting hurt considering his draft slot…
Yes. The Braves are going to dump the #3 draft pick from his class who isn’t even eligible for arbitration until after next season. Dude has all of 1.094 years of service time and isn’t eligible to be a free-agent until 2027. So yeah, but low…
Just replace Freeman with Olson… should be fine….
Just replace Swanson with …..
You don’t just replace these guys. The Braves, as much as ppl are in denial, are missing Freeman’s skill. Olson is an inferior player in the every way
Unless they acquire Turner or X, they are regressing as a team once Swanson is gone. Grissom is no where near the player Swanson is defensively. I also still believe Swanson is not a fluke and his season is a reflection of him improving as a hitter. He, like Freeman, are/were the most clutch players on the team including WS last season
Except Olson wanted to play fro his hometown Braves and I didn’t. ^^^
The point is the Braves are not a better team without Freeman – doesn’t matter who you would replace him with,
Likewise, if they let Swanson walk.
He hasn’t looked like the Ian Anderson We Used to Know, but Nothing Is Easy in baseball.
He has six weeks to practice on the flute
Hasn’t been the same pitcher since his shoulder injury last season.
I find it hard to believe the beastly stuff he had last year and 2020 just vanished. I will be buying low next year for fantasy. I think he’s a huge post hype rebound candidate.
I don’t know what caused it, but his curveball active spin percentage (the spin that affects the movement of a pitch) went from 64% in 2021 to just 46% this year. His curvebal lost nearly 5 inches of drop, on average. Might not seem like a lot on paper, but batters have a .342 wOBA against it this year and .309 wOBA against it last year.
His curveball which is his least used pitch isn’t great this year. Neither is the 4-seam or the change-up. As a Barves fan I’ve seen almost all of his starts. He’s been not great and rarely made it into the 5th inning b/c his pitch count gets high fast b/c he can’t as of now throw strikes –
baseballsavant.mlb.com/player-scroll?player_id=666…
@Smacky this is literally the first time in probably his entire life that he has struggled like this. I think he will respond. I don’t know if you agree as a Braves fan but I’ve always thought of him as a tough guy on the mound.
He’s got all of 1.094 years of service time and is now injured and out for at least 4-6 weeks (the whole season). If management thought in his current state he could help win the MLB teams games he’d not have been in the minors when he got hurt.
Good stuff @mlb1225
Aqua Lung a very underrated song IMHO.
Seriously, does anyone actually care at this point? He’s irrelevant. Write this season off and try to get right next season.
Love the “Replace Dansby” comments. Come on folks dude is solid and has continued to improve each year. AA lock him up and keep this infield together for years to come.
I agree bravesnc. I think in the end AA will sign Dansby to a extension. The guy really seems to enjoy playing in Atlanta he’s from Georgia and he is a great fit on the team.
Wasnt Soroka supposed to be back in July, for the 2nd half of the Season?
League has figured Mr. Anderson after the release of Stand up sophomore season.
Change the name to neo.