FORT MYERS, Fla. — For a couple of weeks before spring training, Luke Jackson experienced some mild soreness in his right elbow. It seemed to be improving, and he seemed to be on pace.
Then he reported to North Port and threw two live bullpen sessions. He told the Braves he was dealing with a dead arm.
“It was just kind of irritating,” Jackson said. “It was not anything I was concerned about, it wasn’t anything about anything, but I think just the team, and it being a short spring, wanted to kind of make sure it was perfect before we get into another 162. Going from the longest season you can play to the short offseason probably just gave it a little more precaution for it.”
He has resumed throwing. He recently threw one bullpen session and expects to complete another Thursday. He hasn’t yet pitched in a spring training game, but he’s building up for the season.
Will he be ready for opening day April 7?
“I don’t know what the exact timetable is because I can’t speak for (the team) or what they want to do, but I would say pretty, pretty quickly,” Jackson said.
Does that mean he’ll be back a few days after opening day?
“I don't know what the exact timetable is because I can't speak for (the team) or what they want to do, but I would say pretty, pretty quickly."
“I would assume somewhere close,” he said.
The Braves called the injury “right forearm tightness.” More specifically, Jackson said he felt it on the outside of his elbow and likened it to tennis elbow. He said, “It’s nothing to do with your flexors or your UCL,” which is why the team did not give him an MRI.
The Braves gave Jackson, a right-handed reliever, a couple of days off from throwing. He took some anti-inflammatory medication.
“It was nothing I really cared about or was worried about,” Jackson said. “I think the fact that it was just because it was tennis elbow, they were just like, ‘Eh, whatever.’ But that it just kept kind of nagging and staying there, they kind of started to take precaution on it.”
Jackson pitched to a 1.98 ERA over 63 ⅔ innings last season. In the playoffs, he surrendered five earned runs in 8 ⅔ frames. He’s a key reliever in a group that calls itself the “Night Shift.”
He said he finally has gotten rid of the soreness.
“It kept getting inflamed and kept getting annoying,” Jackson said. “I just couldn’t kick it. It just stood there, so now they’re just like, ‘All right, we’re going to have to make you miss a couple games, this has to go on a report.’ And it didn’t help that I got a stomach bug midway through, so I missed one of my bullpens, (which) pushed me back.”
At that point, it seemed Jackson would miss only one or two days of the regular season. The team, he said, decided to give him a couple of extra days to ensure he’s fully healthy.
This probably was an easy decision. While Jackson is a key part of the bullpen, rosters are expanding to 28 to begin the season. There’s no reason to push him early in the year after a long 2021 season that ended with a World Series title. The Braves seemingly possess the depth to overcome Jackson’s absence, if it doesn’t last long.
This Braves bullpen is deeper than last year’s unit, too. General manager Alex Anthopoulos signed closer Kenley Jansen, which gave the club another high-leverage reliever. The Braves also added the versatile Collin McHugh. They should be fine without Jackson for a few days, especially because their first two series are against the Reds and Nationals, two teams that aren’t projected to be contenders.
It doesn’t look like Jackson will be ready for opening day, but he seems to be headed in the right direction.
“I’m on pace throwing. I feel great,” Jackson said. “It’s just they’re taking high, high precaution with extra (players) added to the roster, with being able to throw a lot more guys.”
