The Braves announced a series of roster moves today, with the right hand called in Huascar intends to and holder Chadwick Trump. To create a room in the active list, they really chose Ian Anderson and defensive player Guillermo Heredia.
The most noteworthy of these moves is the demotion of Anderson, who has been firmly in the rotation for some time. He was first called up to the major tournaments in August of 2020, starting six appearances in the shortened season and scoring 1.95 ERA. This was impressive enough for Anderson to earn a place in the club’s post-season rotation, starting four more games in the playoffs with a 0.96 ERA, as Atlanta reached the NLCS.
Last year, Anderson apparently proved he wasn’t as lucky for a short season by showing off so well through an entire season. Although he made one trip to IL, Anderson started 24 times in 2021 with a 3.58 ERA, then made four more after the season ended with a 1.59 ERA, helping Atlanta win the World Championship.
The 24-year-old took a step back here in 2022, however, and he’s currently playing 5.11 ERA all year round. His strike rate of 29.7% in 2020 fell to 23.2% last year and has fallen to 19.8% here this year. His gait rate of 11.3% is also the highest in his career, and his globe average of 47.4% is a career low. It’s likely some bad luck, as his .318 BABIP in the year is much higher than in past seasons, but there’s also a lot of blue on his phone. Statcast page, with the hitters making some good friction against him. With the advent of the ascendant Spencer Strider and acquisition of Jake OdoreseAnderson’s struggles seem to have shocked him out of the top five. He’ll join the Gwinnett Stripers and try to get things back on track.
The move is unlikely to have a significant impact on Anderson from a service time perspective, at least in the short term. He came into this season with 1 year and 94 days of service time and added about 120 more days here in 2022. Even if he were to spend the rest of the season in minors, he would finish the campaign somewhere around 2,025. This would put him on track to reach first-time arbitration after 2023 and free agency after 2026, although future elective assignments could change that timeline as well.
Trump was called up due to a leg injury sustained last night by Travis Darno. Although the X-ray was negative, Justin Toscano from The Atlanta Journal ConstitutionD’Arnaud will likely not be available for a few days. to leave William Contreras as the primary catcher, with Trump intervening as a backup.
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