Every MLB team ends up bringing in a few unexpected players each season.
For the St. Louis Cardinals, one of the more surprising additions came when they signed left-handed reliever Tyler Matzek to a minor league deal. Matzek had been a key figure in the Atlanta Braves’ 2021 World Series championship but has struggled through injuries over the past four years.
Despite joining the Cardinals organization on June 3, Matzek never made it back to the majors. He was even released and re-signed during the season, then spent the final three months on the injured list. Now, it appears his stint with St. Louis may have come to an end.
According to the transaction log on his official roster page, Tyler Matzek elected minor-league free agency on Thursday. As he heads into his age-35 season in 2026, he’ll likely be limited to minor-league contract offers—if he chooses to keep playing.
Matzek began the 2025 season with the New York Yankees, making seven relief appearances and allowing three earned runs over 6 1/3 innings. Before his call-up on April 22, he also pitched in five games for the Yankees’ minor-league affiliate.
After being designated for assignment on May 16, Matzek chose free agency three days later and soon signed with the St. Louis Cardinals. He had already dealt with an oblique injury earlier in the year while with New York, and while it’s unclear what specific issue sidelined him with the Cardinals, he never appeared in a game for either St. Louis or their Triple-A affiliate, the Memphis Redbirds.
No matter what happens next, Matzek’s legacy is firmly tied to his outstanding 2021 season. That year, he posted a 2.57 ERA across 69 regular-season games, then dominated in the postseason—throwing 15 2/3 innings with a 1.72 ERA, 24 strikeouts, and a 3–0 record, including earning the win in Game 4 of the World Series against the Houston Astros.
Unfortunately, injuries have derailed much of his career since then. After missing the entire 2023 season, Matzek has struggled to regain the form that once made him one of the Braves’ most trusted relievers.
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