The New York Yankees signed veteran left-handed reliever Tyler Matzek to a minor-league contract, the club announced Tuesday,
Matzek impressed scouts during a recent showcase that ultimately led to him joining the Yankees organization, according to MassLive's Chris Cotillo.
The 34-year-old is looking to reestablish himself in the majors following several injury-plagued seasons. He missed all of 2023 following Tommy John surgery, and only made 11 appearances with the Atlanta Braves last year.
However, he's just a few years removed from serving as a critical piece of a World Series-winning bullpen. Matzek was integral to the Braves' 2021 championship: He posted a 2.57 ERA and 1.22 WHIP along with 77 strikeouts and only three home runs allowed in 69 appearances. During their playoff run that October, he allowed only three earned runs in 15 2/3 innings with a 13.8 K/9 rate.
Matzek could be of particular use to the Yankees thanks to his stellar splits against left-handed hitters. He's held opposing lefties to a paltry .593 OPS during his career and allowed only six homers. That's a skill set currently missing from the Yankees bullpen behind new closer Devin Williams.
New York is entering spring training with only one southpaw reliever - Tim Hill, who recently re-signed with the club - on its 40-man roster. With a good showing this spring, Matzek could have the inside track to join Hill in manager Aaron Boone's bullpen as a lefty specialist. Brandon Leibrandt and Jayvien Sandridge are the only other left-handers attending Yankees camp as non-roster invitees, per Roster Resource.
Matzek originally reached the majors with Colorado in 2014 before being dropped from the Rockies' roster. He spent the next several years bouncing between the affiliated minors and independent leagues before finally establishing himself as a big-league reliever with Atlanta in 2020.
