Veteran left-handed pitcher Tyler Matzek went through waivers unclaimed, rejected his outright assignment from the New York Yankees and will now head to free agency, the team announced on Monday.
Today, LHP Tyler Matzek elected free agency in lieu of accepting an outright assignment.
— New York Yankees (@Yankees) May 19, 2025
Matzek, 34, was designated for assignment last week when the Yankees reinstated right-handed reliever Jonathan Loáisiga from the injured list.
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Matzek made seven appearances for the Yankees this season, sporting a 4.26 ERA across 6.1 innings of work. He allowed 11 hits, five walks and three earned runs while striking out seven.
Matzek joined the Yankees on a minor league deal in February and began the year at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. He earned a spot on the major league roster in mid-April.
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Matzek was initially selected in the first round of the 2011 MLB Draft by the Colorado Rockies. The left-hander debuted with Colorado in 2014, and spent the 2015 season with the Rockies before bouncing around the minor league level for the next four seasons.
Matzek got his next opportunity at the MLB level with the Atlanta Braves in 2020. There, he developed into a dominant left-handed reliever.
In 2020, Matzek sported a 2.79 ERA across 21 appearances in the pandemic-shortened season. In 2021, Matzek made a career-high 69 appearances, sporting a 2.57 ERA over 63 innings of work.
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In the 2021 postseason, Matzek played a pivotal role in the Braves’ World Series run, going 3-0 with a 1.72 ERA and 24 strikeouts in 13 appearances and 15.2 innings.
In 2022, he had a 3.50 ERA over 42 appearances. Unfortunately, his postseason was cut short as he developed elbow discomfort. Matzek later underwent Tommy John surgery and missed the entire 2023 season.
Matzek made 11 appearances with the Braves in 2024, sporting a 9.90 ERA. This year, he made seven appearances with the Yankees before electing to go back to free agency.
Matzek will now look for his next opportunity as he tries to get back to the MLB level.
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