Braves’ lose left-hander Matzek to 15-day IL
ATLANTA — The Atlanta Braves lost another reliever to injury on Tuesday when they placed left-hander Tyler Matzek on the 15-day injured list with left elbow inflammation.
The Braves placed right-hander Pierce Johnson on the 15-day IL on Sunday with right elbow inflammation.
The move with Matzek came after he allowed three runs while recording only two outs in Saturday night's 11-2 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers. The 33-year-old has a 9.90 ERA in 11 games this season, allowing 11 runs in 10 innings.
Matzek was a key reliever for Atlanta's 2021 World Series championship team. He had a 2.57 ERA in 69 games but had Tommy John surgery on his left elbow in 2022 and missed the 2023 season.
Braves manager Brian Snitker said Matzek reported soreness in his elbow on Monday, when the team was off. Snitker said the inflammation following Tommy John surgery is not unusual.
“I think that's the biggest thing, just get him calmed down and get him back right,” Snitker said.
The Braves recalled left-hander Ray Kerr from Triple-a Gwinnett before Tuesday night's game against the Boston Red Sox.
MLB Draft: Major League Baseball has warned its teams against encouraging players to withdraw from high school baseball to avoid the amateur draft and pursue the increased flexibility of international free agency.
The memo was sent to front offices Monday by John D’angelo, Major League Baseball’s vice president of amateur and medical baseball operations.
“It has come to our attention that Clubs have been encouraging amateur players in the United States to withdraw from, or otherwise refrain from playing, high school baseball in the United States and/or Canada, in order to try to establish residency in a foreign country, in an effort to make themselves eligible to sign under the International Amateur Talent System instead of the Rule 4 Draft,” the memo reads.
The memo calls the efforts “highly inappropriate,” and a violation of major league rules and the league's collective bargaining agreement with its players. Clubs that engage in the practice are “subject to significant penalties,” which could include the loss of draft picks or international bonus pool money.
ESPN was the first to report on the warning. The memo was obtained by the AP on Tuesday.
An amateur draft was established for residents of the United States and Canada in 1965 and extended to residents of U.S. territories such as Puerto Rico in 1990. Competitive balance selections are the only picks from the 20-round draft that can be traded, and there are penalties for teams that exceed their allotment for signing bonuses.
There is more freedom for players and teams under the international amateur talent system. There are penalties for teams that exceed their international bonus pool money, but players can choose their new homes.
Major League Baseball has pushed for an international draft, but the idea has been spurned by the players’ association.
Rangers 15, Athletics 8:
Marcus Semien had four hits and five RBIS, and the Texas Rangers scored 10 times in the second inning of a 15-8 victory over the Oakland Athletics on Tuesday.
Jonah Heim added four hits and two RBIS as Texas extended its seasonhigh win streak to four games, outscoring opponents 37-16 during that stretch.
The Rangers sent 16 batters to the plate in the second in their biggest inning since May 23, 2015, when they also scored 10 in the third against the New York Yankees.
Texas’ 15 runs matched a season high, and its 19 hits set a new mark.
Kyle Mccann and Seth Brown homered for Oakland, which lost its third straight game after winning six in a row.
The game drew an attendance of 3,965 after Monday night’s seasonlow 2,895. The A’s have announced plans to play the next three seasons in Sacramento while a new stadium is built in Las Vegas.
Semien connected against Ross Stripling on
the first pitch of the game for his third leadoff homer this season and No. 27 for his career. He hit an RBI single and a two-run double in the second.
Stripling (1-6) allowed a career-high 11 runs — five earned — in 1 2/3 innings. He permitted 10 hits and two walks.
José Ureña (1-2) made his first start of the season for Texas. He allowed two runs, one earned, and four hits.