Injured reliever Tyler Matzek is progressing in his recovery from Tommy John surgery

The typical recovery timeline for Tommy John surgery, where a torn Ulnar Collateral Ligament in the elbow is reattached, is twelve to eighteen months. Matzek had his recovery slowed by a bulging disk in his back this spring, but is back on track to make his return from the procedure. 

It was always a longshot that Matzek would be able to contribute in 2023, but reports confirm that we won't see the reliever in game action until spring training next year. 

It's almost an ideal timeline, as it allows him to have as close to a normal offseason of rest and buildup to the season as he normally would, so that he's ready to assume his role as dominant "fireman" in the Braves bullpen. 

Matzek, affectionately nicknamed "Nutsack" by his teammates, is best known for his clutch inning in the 2021 NLCS against the Los Angeles Dodgers.  

Up 4-2 in the top of the 7th inning, reliever Luke Jackson allowed Dodgers runners to get to 2nd and 3rd with no outs. His response when manager Brian Snitker came to take him out? 

Thank you,” he told the skipper. “I can’t buy an out right now.”

Instead, as the Braves did so often in the postseason, they called on Matzek. 

He had thrown eight of the previous nine games, but the lefty was called on to put out the fires once again. And, to top it off, he had to face three righties: Hall of Fame-bound Albert Pujols, Steven Souza, and former MVP Mookie Betts. 

Matzek got the three biggest strikeouts of his LIFE to hold the lead at two. 

Atlanta would go on to win the game, sending the Braves to the World Series and ultimately bringing home the championship. 

And that nickname? It was coined by Jackson himself. 

“Tyler Nutsack. That’s what everyone calls him, because he’s got to drag those huge balls out to the mound every night.”

And in the meantime, until he's back on the mound, we'll have to settle for him heckling the Mets using their own catchphrase: