JUPITER, Fla. — Kris Medlen’s pitching arm checked out fine again Thursday morning, 12 hours day after the Braves right-hander was struck in the triceps by a line drive during a 2-1 win against Miami.
Manager Fredi Gonzalez said the Braves dodged a bullet, and that he cringed when Casey Kotchman’s liner hit Medlen with two out in the fifth inning. He came out of the game after the incident, had some mild triceps tightness afterward, and was examined Thursday by Braves head trainer Jeff Porter at training camp in Lake Buena Vista, Fla.
“No problems with Med — came back good,” Gonzalez said after getting the update from camp, before the Braves’ game Thursday against the Cardinals in Jupiter.
Gonzalez said Medlen would make his next scheduled start and wouldn’t need to bump it back a day or two.
It was only the second hit of the game against Medlen, the other also on a comebacker that hit the toe of Medlen’s left shoe in the fourth inning. That ball did no damage.
The right-hander had three strikeouts with no walks and threw 33 strikes in 49 pitches over 4-2/3 innings.
Braves starters Paul Maholm, Julio Teheran and Medlen had allowed four hits in 14-2/3 scoreless innings over the past three games before Thursday, with 14 strikeouts and three walks.
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