Braves get concerning injury update on Ian Anderson

The Atlanta Braves didn’t get great news regarding Ian Anderson, who was sent down to Triple-A Gwinnett to start the 2023 season.

Ian Anderson was expected to begin the 2023 season as a member of the Atlanta Braves‘ starting rotation. But after a poor showing throughout spring training and the rise of prospects Dylan Dodd and Jared Shuster, Anderson was optioned to Triple-A Gwinnett. His first start in Triple-A went disastrously, giving up four earned runs on four hits, three of which were home runs, in just two-thirds of an inning.

As it turns out, things got even worse for the Braves and Anderson.

On Wednesday, Anderson was placed onto the minor-league injured list due to a right elbow injury.

Ian Anderson placed on injured list in minor leagues

The Braves will wait and see how Anderson recovers from this ailment and see if it has played a factor in his struggles.

Last season, Anderson struggled for the Braves, posting a 5.00 ERA and a 1.513 WHIP, while striking out 97 strikeouts and 54 walks in 112.2 innings (22 starts).

As mentioned earlier, his spring didn’t go any better. In three games (two starts), Anderson recorded a 6.14 ERA, a 1.77 WHIP, eight strikeouts and eight walks in 7.1 innings of work. He was then optioned down to Triple-A, where Dodd and Shuster both competed for the final spot in the starting rotation.

Prior to his first Triple-A start, there was actually a chance that Anderson could get called up to play in Wednesday’s game against the St. Louis Cardinals. Between how he pitched and with the injury, that didn’t happen. Bryce Elder was called up instead, and he led the Braves to a 5-2 win.

Anderson’s injury will be worth monitoring, especially to see how much time he may miss.