Closer Raisel Iglesias has injury setback, Ian Anderson goes on MiLB injured list

Injuries to Braves pitching continue to make the case for developing as much depth as possible

The Atlanta Braves will be without closer Raisel Iglesias for a while longer, and Ian Anderson's work to make it back to MLB suffers a setback as well. 

Earlier this week, reports came out about Iglesias having his injury timetable extended - the initial report from late March was that Iglesias would be shut down for about a week to allow the lingering shoulder soreness to pass before beginning a throwing program. Manager Brian Snitker discussed on Monday that Iglesias was still receiving treatment and was so far unable to begin throwing, extending the potential return date for the Braves closer. 

“Until he starts throwing again, we don’t know about him,” said Snitker. 

Iglesias, 33, signed a four-year, $58M contract with the Angels in December 2021 and was acquired by Atlanta at the 2022 deadline for pitchers Tucker Davidson and Jesse Chavez. Iglesias appeared in 28 games for the Braves after the trade and was exceptional, recording a 0.34 ERA in 26.1 inning pitched with 30 strikeouts to only five walks. 

In the meantime, both AJ Minter and Jesse Chavez have each recorded a save for Atlanta and the bullpen is pitching to a 1.99 ERA and 1.06 WHIP in sixteen innings on the season, but Atlanta's also in a stretch of twelve games in twelve days, with their next off day scheduled for Thursday, April 13th. Additionally, not yet having a starter for Friday night raises the concern of needing a bullpen game - that would have been the start of Jared Shuster, who started Sunday against Washington but was optioned to AAA when Dylan Dodd was called up on April 3rd. Due to being optioned, Shuster can't rejoin the team for fifteen days unless he's either the designated 27th man for a doubleheader or replacing a player who has been placed on the injured list. 

Meanwhile, pitcher Ian Anderson, sent to AAA Gwinnett during spring training when Atlanta narrowed the 5th starter's battle to Dylan Dodd and Jared Shuster, is going on the minor league injured list with an elbow issue, as reported by the AJC's Justin Toscano. 

Ian Anderson is on the minor-league injured list.

He has a right elbow injury. The Braves are still evaluating him.

— Justin Toscano (@JustinCToscano) April 5, 2023

Anderson's start of the season at Gwinnett was dreadful - starting on April 2nd against Jacksonville, he went 2/3rds of a inning with four hits, six runs (four earned) and two walks with only one strikeout. He gave up three home runs to the nine batters he faced and didn't make it out of the first inning, being pulled at 37 pitches. 

The struggles for Anderson have been baffling - in 2021, he started 24 MLB games for Atlanta, going 9-5 with a 3.58 ERA in 128.1 innings pitched. He came in clutch all season, taking the ball in game three of the World Series and leaving in the 5th with no hits allowed in what was eventually a 2-0 victory. 

But since then, he's struggled at both the major league and minor league level. Anderson started 22 games for Atlanta in 2022, going 10-6 but with a ERA of 5.00, and had an even higher ERA, 5.40, in his four AAA starts. 

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