Did a tip from two Yankees aces uncover a crucial bullpen piece?

TAMPA — Tyler Matzek had two key supporters in the Yankees clubhouse — former Braves teammate Max Fried and former travel ball teammate and high school foe Gerrit Cole — that helped lead to him landing a minor league deal with the team earlier this month.

But the veteran lefty reliever is not just here as a favor from a friend; Matzek has a real chance to make the team with a strong spring, and the early returns have been promising.

The Yankees have been intrigued by what they have seen so far in Matzek, who is now more than two years removed from undergoing Tommy John surgery in Oct. 2022. That followed a three-year run with the Braves in which he posted a 2.92 ERA across 132 appearances.

The surgery cost him all of 2023, and while the 34-year-old returned to start the year on time with the Braves in 2024, he threw in 11 games before landing back on the injured list with elbow inflammation, which kept him out until making nine appearances at Triple-A before the season was over.