Ian Anderson is taking his rehab to South Carolina, where he will pitching for the Augusta GreenJackets on Sunday afternoon. Anderson is looking to return from April 2023 Tommy John surgery. For Anderson this will be his third appearance this season, the first two coming for the FCL Braves back at the Braves spring training complex in North Port, Florida.
In game one of his rehab Anderson looked good, pitching two perfect innings where he struck out four batters. The Braves extended him a bit more his next time out on June 24th, having Anderson face ten batters across three innings. This time out Anderson allowed a run and struck out three batters. Overall reports have been positive for Anderson, with his fastball velocity sitting around his 2022 averages.
Atlanta Braves starting pitcher Ian Anderson is set to continue his rehab assignment at SRP Park on Sunday, June 30th. The 2021 World Series champion is slated to be the starting pitcher for Sunday’s 1:35 contest against the Charleston RiverDogs.
— Augusta GreenJackets (@GreenJackets) June 28, 2024
Anderson and the GreenJackets will be facing the Charleston RiverDogs at SRP Park in North Augusta, South Carolina. If you’re looking to head out and see Anderson pitch I can highly recommend the SRP Park experience, though I would advise you to arrive early as parking around the stadium is limited and takes time close to the game. Other players to watch on the Augusta GreenJackets roster include outfielder Isaiah Drake, the Atlanta Braves 2023 5th round pick, and infielder Will Verdung, the 2023 13th round pick.
For Anderson this could be an opportune time to come back. While his shoulder injury and then Tommy John surgery set his young career back and he struggled in 2022, we can’t forget that the now 26-year-old Anderson was a key contributor to the team’s playoff runs in 2020 and 2021. Prior to the injuries he was one of the brightest young pitchers in the game, and with the Braves consistently giving their starters extra rest and no one having locked down the final spot in the rotation there is a path back to Atlanta for Anderson. Anderson will still have a few rehab starts to make and then will finish up in Gwinnett where he will have to prove himself, but if he is a semblance of his 2021 self the Braves could utilize him to make spot starts in the second half. Right now though, it’s just nice to see Anderson healthy and pitching.
