Ian Anderson had a forgettable debut in this year's Spring Training. The veteran pitcher, who was looking to make a good impression right away to help his chances of locking up a spot on the Atlanta Braves starting rotation in the 2023 MLB regular season, got wrecked early by the Minnesota Twins in Tuesday's Grapefruit League matchup.
“I’m not going to sugarcoat it: It was not very good,” Ian Anderson said about his performance versus the twins. (h/t Mark Bowman of MLB.com) “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.”
In 1.1 innings of work against Minnesota, Ian Anderson got rocked for four earned runs on just three hits. He also issued three free passes and struck out just one batter, as he clearly struggled with his location in the Braves' 10-7 loss.
Anderson's poor performance came on the heels of a challenging 2022 season for the pitcher. Last year, he was optioned to Triple-A Gwinnett after recording just a 5.00 ERA with a 4.25 FIP in 22 starts. Despite those numbers, Ian Anderson managed to go 10-6, thanks in large part to Atlanta's run support behind him.
There is still plenty of time for Ian Anderson to get back on track and recover from his debacle against Minnesota. He is in the running to become Atlanta's No. 5 starter in 2023, though, the Braves still have Bryce Elder, who could end up snatching the job if Anderson continues to look wobbly on the mound.
Follow Us
Subscribe