Ian Anderson hurts chances to make Braves rotation in a big way

Ian Anderson’s rough start to spring training could cost him a role in the Atlanta Braves starting rotation.

Ian Anderson added a slider to his pitch selection this offseason, and had plenty of hype heading into Braves camp this spring. Unfortunately, that hasn’t necessarily carried over to his outings against live hitters.

Anderson’s first two big-league seasons went according to plan, as he finished top-7 in National League Rookie of the Year voting in both 2020 and 2021. That did not carry over to 2022, as Anderson flashed a 5.00 ERA and didn’t make the postseason rotation.

In his first outing this spring, Anderson allowed four runs, three hits and three walks in just under two innings of work.

Braves: Ian Anderson casts doubt about rotation chances

“I’m not going to sugarcoat it: It was not very good,” Anderson said. “You put in all the work during the offseason, [and] that’s not the first performance I wanted to put up. But I guess if you’re going to get punched, you might as well get punched really hard and see how you come back.”

Anderson is one of several pitchers battling for the final spot in Atlanta’s rotation. Michael Soroka, who has long battled injuries and is doing so again this spring thanks to a hamstring issue, is his main competition.

Despite a bad performance, Brian Snitker had limited expectations for Anderson heading into his first start.

“I don’t expect him to be a polished product right now,” Braves manager Brian Snitker said. “He’s trying some different things with pitches, his delivery and the whole thing. So we’ve got to give him a chance in game conditions to get everything under control.”

Opening Day is a little under a month away, and Anderson will have plenty of time to prove himself a viable option before then.