Though still months away, anticipation high for Anderson's return

NORTH PORT, Fla. -- Ian Anderson will be 26 once he completes his long rehab from Tommy John surgery and attempts to reclaim a spot within Atlanta’s rotation this summer. He’ll be two years younger than Kyle Wright, a year younger than Michael Soroka and one year older than Jared Shuster, a trio of former first-round Draft picks who were erased from the Braves future pitching plans this offseason.

How does Anderson fit these plans? Well, he still hasn’t been cleared to begin pitching off a mound. But with the hope he could resume pitching in June or July, there’s reason to begin anticipating his return. His progress and production will certainly influence the Braves’ plans for next offseason, when they might be accounting for the departures of both Max Fried and Charlie Morton.

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“Ian is such a wonderful young guy,” Braves manager Brian Snitker said. “He’s been so big here and he’s done so much here in a short period of time. He’s really experienced a lot and I would like nothing more for him to get back to where he wants to be, which is back to pitching big games for us.”

It seemed like as quickly as it happened for Anderson, it also stopped for the good-natured hurler. He tasted immediate success after debuting in 2020 and by the end of 2021 he had helped the Braves reach the World Series. His record-setting postseason success enhanced excitement about his future.

But there were signs of trouble in 2022 and by the time Spring Training arrived last year, it was obvious something wasn’t right. His command worsened and his velocity stayed down. By the middle of April, it was determined he needed Tommy John surgery.

“I knew I wasn’t myself, but I thought I could compete and figure some stuff out,” Anderson said. “It’s definitely been good from that aspect to clean the slate and move forward with it.”

Anderson is throwing from a distance of 120 feet four times a week and continuing the long rehab that could bring him back to the Major Leagues in June or July.

Could his arrival help the Braves win a seventh straight National League East title? Will he be effective enough to be a factor in this year’s postseason?

Anderson has a 1.26 ERA through eight career postseason starts. The only other pitchers with a sub-1.50 ERA with at least eight postseason starts are Christy Mathewson (0.97) and Stephen Strasburg (1.46).

Some of this October success might now feel like a distant memory. Anderson missed approximately six weeks of the 2021 season with a sore shoulder. But he finished that season by throwing five scoreless, no-hit innings against the Astros in Game 3 of the World Series.

There weren’t necessarily any signs of elbow trouble before he posted a 5.00 ERA over 22 starts in 2022. He was optioned to Triple-A by mid-August and he spent the remainder of the season on the Minor League injured list.

“It was tough to keep the positive mindset and the happy-go-lucky attitude I feel I’m able to bring to the clubhouse,” Anderson said. “It was tough. No one wants to struggle.”

Anderson and his wife own a home within the Wellen Park neighborhood that surrounds the Braves’ Spring Training complex, so he at least had the comforts of home as he spent the past year rehabbing within his own neighborhood.

Along with being able to clear his head, the down time allowed Anderson to do some self-reflection. He focused on finding consistency with his mechanics and just getting a better feel for what works best for him.

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“It's helped me a ton to just be able to own what I do,” Anderson said. “Now, when things are kind of going bad, I might be able to right the ship a little faster because of the different checkpoints I have and from the confidence I’ve gained during this process.”

A few years ago, it felt like Anderson, Wright and Soroka might be a part of Atlanta’s rotation for many seasons. Now that Wright and Soroka have moved on, top prospects AJ Smith-Shawver and Hurston Waldrep have joined conversations about future rotations.

Anderson enriched the Braves’ recent past and he is determined to be a part of the organization’s future success.

“We’ll all be happy for him,” Snitker said. “He loves to compete and he’s a great teammate.”