The Cardinals have signed veteran left-handed pitcher to a minor league contract and assigned him to Triple-A Memphis, where he’ll serve as non-roster bullpen depth.
Tyler Matzek, 34, began the 2024 season with the Yankees on a minor league deal. He was promoted to the majors on April 22 but was designated for assignment on May 16. During his stint, he pitched 6 1/3 innings across seven appearances, tallying seven strikeouts, five walks, 11 hits, and three earned runs. After clearing waivers, he opted for free agency and has now joined St. Louis.
Though Matzek has struggled recently, he has a solid track record. From 2020 to 2022 with the Braves, he compiled a 2.92 ERA over 135 2/3 innings. While his walk rate was high at 13.4%, he struck out 27.4% of batters and recorded one save and 33 holds during that stretch.
His career hit a snag after undergoing Tommy John surgery in October 2022, which sidelined him for all of 2023. In his 2024 return with Atlanta, he gave up 11 earned runs in 10 innings before going on the injured list with elbow inflammation. While still rehabbing, he was traded to the Giants in the Jorge Soler deal, but San Francisco released him in August. He rejoined Atlanta on a minor league deal but didn’t make it back to the majors.
Since the end of 2022, Matzek has logged only 16 1/3 major league innings. Still, his prior success makes him a worthwhile low-risk addition for the Cardinals, who currently have Steven Matz, JoJo Romero, and John King as the lefties in their MLB bullpen. With injuries always a concern, St. Louis will evaluate Matzek in Memphis to see if he can contribute at the big league level again.