FORT MYERS, Fla. — Inside the visiting dugout at Hammond Stadium on Tuesday morning, the way Aaron Boone spoke about Tyler Matzek sounded like someone who is going to make the team.
Then Matzek took the mound for his Grapefruit League debut and did little to temper that enthusiasm.
There is still a long way to go between now and March 27, when the Yankees open the season against the Brewers in The Bronx, but if Matzek can just stay healthy, he appears to have a strong chance to win a spot in the bullpen as a non-roster invitee to camp.
“You watch him and it’s like, you feel like we got something there,” Boone said before a 5-4 loss to the Twins. “Obviously he was a premier reliever and then some injuries set him back the last couple years. But he looks really good. Excited to see him get into a game, excited to get him going. But early signs point to he could absolutely factor in.”
In his first game action this spring — after his 2024 season was derailed by elbow inflammation, coming off Tommy John surgery in October of 2022 — Matzek threw a scoreless seventh inning on nine pitches and then went down to the bullpen to throw a handful more to keep his workload up.
His fastball averaged 94.6 mph, up from the 93.6 mph it averaged in 11 appearances with the Braves last year, and more in line with the velocity he had pre-Tommy John.
“I take a peek at [the velocity] just so I know where I’m at and if my stuff’s effective that day — if I gotta be a junk ball pitcher that day or if I can actually use my four-seam,” Matzek said. “I was pleased with where the velocity was at. Shows I’m healthy. It feels really good right now. I feel like I’m putting the effort in and getting the velocity out that I feel like it matches. So I’m pleased with where it’s at right now and just want to keep climbing all the way up as far as I can go.”
Matzek indicated he feels like he is “close” to being the pitcher he was before surgery — when he posted a 2.92 ERA across 132 games in three seasons with the Braves — but did not want that to be the ceiling of where he gets back to.
“That’s what this whole thing’s about — I want to get to that guy and even better than that guy,” he said. “I just take it one day at a time, one step at a time. But I’m feeling fantastic right now. When I’m feeling good, I can keep getting better and better and better each day.”
The Yankees re-signed Tim Hill earlier this month to ensure they will have at least one lefty reliever in their bullpen.
But Matzek, who they signed to a minor league deal a few days later, could join him as a second lefty by grabbing one of the open bullpen spots to join a group that will likely include Devin Williams, Luke Weaver, Hill, Ian Hamilton, Mark Leiter Jr. and Fernando Cruz.
The competition for the final two spots may have taken a hit on Tuesday as Scott Effross, who has been on a similar road back as Matzek (they underwent UCL surgeries one day apart), walked off the mound with a hamstring injury after throwing just one pitch in the eighth inning.
The projected bullpen mix can change that quickly, but for now, Matzek looks the part and has jumped out at Yankees officials because of it.
“I’m pleased with where I’m at,” Matzek said. “The process has taken a little while, but I’m starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel. It’s starting to get me where I feel like I can get out there and compete on the field.”
