While Chris Sale’s 2025 debut went swimmingly, that wasn’t the case for Ian Anderson, who is hopeful to return to the Braves rotation on a permanent basis.
Anderson could only get through 1.2 innings over the weekend, allowing one run. But it was his control that was concerning. Anderson walked three batters, including two in the second inning. Granted, his stuff looked fine, but his control wasn’t even close to where it needed to be.
There are a couple of things to note. First of all, it’s Spring Training, so these results should be taken with a grain of salt. That is very important to remember. However, the Braves are in between a rock and a hard place with Ian Anderson.
Anderson is out of options, so there are two scenarios for him — make the Opening Day roster or not. If he pitches like he did over the weekend for the rest of Spring Training, his time in Atlanta will be as good as over.
However, if he can clean up his control, the Braves would love to have him come out of spring with a spot in the rotation. There’s a lot riding on these next few weeks for the 2021 postseason hero. This is a kid who owns an incredible 1.26 ERA in October baseball. If he can refind that magic, the Braves rotation will be that much more dangerous.
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David J. Griffin/Icon Sportswire
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