RECALL OF EXCELLENCE: Braves pitcher intends to return.

It’s simple to overlook Ian Anderson’s skill level as an Atlanta Braves pitcher prior to his elbow problems developing.

When a pitcher recovers from Tommy John surgery—which formerly took about a year, but now takes more like 14–16 months—the proverb “out of sight, out of mind” makes sense because teams have discovered through trial and error that being cautious with the return usually yields better, healthier long-term results.

For those who are unfamiliar with Anderson, the Braves want to have him back shortly after the All-Star break. Anderson underwent TJ surgery in April of 2023.

• With 172 strikeouts in 135 2/3 innings at the two highest minor-league levels, he was named Braves organizational Pitcher of the Year in 2019. He was also regarded as a top-30 prospect in all of baseball.

• Against the New York Yankees in August 2020, he threw a no-hitter into the sixth inning, winning with a strikeout of Gerrit Cole.

• In six major-league starts in 2020, Anderson recorded a 1.95 ERA, throwing 32 1/3 innings with 41 strikeouts and 14 walks.

• With 124 strikeouts in 24 starts (128 1/3 innings) and a 3.58 ERA, he finished fifth in the NL Rookie of the Year voting in 2021.

• In eight postseason starts in 2020 and 2021, he went 4-0 with a 1.26 ERA, striking out 40 batters in 35 2/3 innings and holding opponents to a.159 average and.483 OPS. He also pitched five scoreless innings in a 2021 World Series Game 3 victory over the Houston Astros, whom he helped the Braves defeat for their first title since 1995.

• Stephen Strasburg and Hall of Famer Christy Mathewson are the other two pitchers in MLB history with a sub-1.50 ERA through at least eight postseason starts, including Anderson.

He established a reputation for putting on strong performances in crucial situations and maintaining composure, all while displaying an extroverted demeanor and a sharp sense of humor. He gained the trust of Braves officials and teammates as a young player they wanted to start in the postseason.

However, Anderson had an abrupt difficulty in 2022. Before being optioned to Triple A and ending the season on the injured list due to a strained oblique, he had a 5.00 ERA in 22 starts in 2022, meaning he was out of the running to make the playoffs. After a first-round bye each year, he was a postseason beast for the Braves for two years, but in 2022 and 2023, he was forced to watch his teammates play without him. Atlanta lost the NL Division Series to the Philadelphia Phillies in four games.

“It’s been difficult,” Anderson remarked. “You ought to be assisting these men outside. And it is undoubtedly difficult to be absent from the battle with them after our amazing 104-win season the previous year.

I asked Anderson two weeks ago if he believed that his elbow may have caused his problems in 2022, or if it could have played a role in his downturn in performance.
He grinned and replied, “That’s one thing I’m not exactly sure about,” but it was obvious he’d prefer not to think about what might have caused his problems any longer. “Towards the end of that year, perhaps. But these days, I try not to think back that far. Now that a year has passed, I find myself reflecting more on ’23 while still eagerly anticipating this year and the years to come.

It is now evident that during last year’s spring training, Anderson pitched while experiencing difficulty. He arrived to camp to contend for the fifth position in the rotation with friend and housemate from spring training Michael Soroka, but both of them struggled and were optioned to Triple A in mid-March.

Before being sent down, Anderson had three Grapefruit League games with a 6.14 ERA. Even if he said nothing at the time, if something appeared to be wrong, it wasn’t.

“As a competitive person, I believed I could make it through,” he remarked. “I believed that I could still compete and merit a position. And as things started to go the way they did, I thought it was probably time to address it and make a statement.

He was sent down to Triple A and only managed to record two outs in his lone regular-season start at Gwinnett while facing nine batters. Only after being removed from the game after giving up six runs (four earned), three home runs, and two walks did Anderson disclose that his elbow was suffering more than it had before.

“I’m happy I did,” he remarked after speaking out at last. The speed at which things kind of changed was definitely starting to get on my nerves. As I mentioned before, I knew I wasn’t myself, but I still believed I could compete and learn a few things. From that perspective, starting over and moving forward has undoubtedly been beneficial.

Although Charlie Morton, a 40-year-old pitcher for the Braves, joined the team prior to the 2021 season, Anderson and Morton have grown friends despite their vast age differences. They are both harsh on themselves when they feel they have let their team down, and they both have comparable senses of humor, meticulous work habits, and pride in their work.

At the age of 28, Morton underwent Tommy John surgery in 2012—four years older than Anderson at the time of his procedure. Unlike Anderson, who had already accomplished a great deal, Morton, a late bloomer whose finest seasons have come well after turning 30, was still attempting to make a name for himself as a pitcher when he underwent TJ surgery.

Morton, however, understands Anderson’s first silence, which may have been the result of denial, resolve, or other factors.

Morton stated, “It depends on the individual.” However, Ian seems like such a grounded individual; I believe he hails from a location where people put in a lot of effort and simply sort of grit their teeth. Furthermore, you probably picture the one-pitch blow-out when you think about blowing out your elbow. Things like not being able to raise your arm, open doors, or clean your teeth. However, it frequently doesn’t really affect you until you really get on the mound and begin to work; after that, it hurts a lot.

“It can’t be that bad if I’m still throwing 90 or 92 (mph),” I’m sure Ian thought in his situation. However, it was. Therefore, I’m relieved that he spoke out and that everything was resolved so he could move on.

With four workouts per week and strong throws from 120 feet, Anderson is currently in the long-toss rehab phase, meaning he still has a lot of work ahead of him. But after almost 11 months in rehab, he’s exactly where he and the Braves had thought he would be. After he begins to pile up a mound, things can go quickly.

In order to relieve some of the strain on his arm, Anderson claimed he has slightly modified his signature straight-over-the-top pitching action and is now using his legs more. He isn’t attempting to rush back or get ahead of himself. He has proceeded cautiously under the Braves’ guidance, and he doesn’t want to make a mistake after making it this far through his recuperation without any mishap.

Anderson claimed he had significantly altered his typical straight-over-the-top pitching motion and is now using his legs more to alleviate some of the load on his arm. He’s not trying to go ahead of himself or hurry back. Under the Braves’ direction, he has moved cautiously since he doesn’t want to make a mistake now that he has made it this far through his recovery without any incidents.
Shortly after undergoing surgery, Anderson arrived in Florida to begin his rehabilitation at the team’s minor-league and spring training headquarters in North Port. He is happy that he decided to purchase a home close to the Braves’ spring training complex a few years ago. He has slept in his own bed the entire time, in contrast to others who had to spend months away from home for rehabilitation.

Though he still wouldn’t want to be here, his time away has made him more appreciative of what he had and motivated to return before too long.
“It was obviously awful, not being with the guys and around them,” he remarked. “But I believe it will be even better when I return.”