The Braves signed left-hander Tyler Matzek to a minor league contract on Aug. 31, according to the veteran reliever’s profile page on MLB.com. Matzek was assigned to Triple-A Gwinnett today. If signed before Sept. 1, Matzek would be eligible for the Braves’ postseason roster.

Matzek is no newcomer to playoff baseball in Atlanta, of course, as he was a key player in the Braves’ bullpen during their 2021 World Series championship run. He posted more solid numbers during the 2022 season, but missed another playoff run due to Tommy John surgery in October of that year. After missing the entire 2023 season due to post-surgery rehab, Matzek returned to play this year, but had a 9.90 ERA over 10 major league innings for the Braves.

Due to elbow inflammation, Matzek was placed on the injured list in May and has not played in the Major League since. Atlanta traded Matzek to the Giants as part of the Jorge Soler The contract was signed at the deadline and Matzek played in five games with the Giants’ Triple-A team as a pitcher before San Francisco released the left-hander earlier this week.

Matzek now returns to the Braves organization after a little over a month away, and will likely continue to hone his skills in Gwinnett to see if he can find his old form. His brief stint in Triple-A Sacramento wasn’t very successful, as Matzek had a 5.79 ERA in the small sample size of 4 2/3 innings pitched. The Braves have a penchant for reuniting former players, and there’s no risk in adding Matzek to the Triple-A roster. Plus, Atlanta will have to pay the rest of his $1.9 million salary for the 2024 season anyway.