Brian Snitker's message to Braves SP Ian Anderson after demotion

Brian Snitker informed Ian Anderson of his demotion to Triple-A on Sunday, leaving the struggling Braves pitcher with a key message.

The Atlanta Braves made the surprising decision to demote Ian Anderson to Triple-A on Sunday. Anderson has struggled throughout the season and with the Braves in a key stretch of the season, they needed to make a move in order to stay within reach of the NL East-leading Mets. Manager Brian Snitker broke the news to Anderson on Sunday morning and now his message to the struggling starter has been revealed, via David O'Brien of The Athletic.

Snitker told Ian Anderson this morning that he’d been optioned. #Braves needed a fresh arm after past couple days in NYC, and they need Anderson to get straightened out for the stretch drive and postseason. Snit assured him he’s big part of the plans going forward.

— David O'Brien (@DOBrienATL) August 7, 2022

O'Brien reports that Snitker told Anderson that he'd be getting demoted, explaining that the Braves were in dire need of a “fresh arm” after some rough outings in Queens against the Mets. With Anderson struggling to produce, the Braves are hoping they can give him a mental reset and get his issues straightened out with a stint in the minors.

While he won't be with the team for the time being, Snitker indicated that Anderson is still in the team's plans for the postseason, which suggests that this move is temporary. If Anderson can right the ship at Triple-A, there's a strong chance fans will see him in some capacity before the end of the year.

In a corresponding move, the Braves recalled Huascar Ynoa from Triple-A.

Anderson has a 9-6 record in 2022 but has recorded a 5.22 ERA throughout his first 21 starts. With a 1.543 WHIP, Anderson was struggling to keep runners off the base paths and wasn't racking up strikeouts either, registering just 93 throughout 105.2 innings on the mound. His 53 walks are tied with Dylan Cease for the most in MLB, another worrying sign for the third-year starter.

Anderson was effective in each of his first two big-league seasons. He maintained a 1.95 ERA across six starts in 2020 and had a 3.58 ERA across 24 starts in 2021. Atlanta was hoping Anderson would play a big role for the Braves in 2022, but he has failed to live up to expectations thus far, culminating in his demotion back down to the minors.