The Braves began the second half with welcome news.
Anthony Swarzak, as expected, was activated from the 10-day injured list and available out of the bullpen for the Braves’ opener Friday in San Diego.
The right-hander was sidelined with throwing shoulder inflammation, though his IL stint was more precautionary, and the tightness was unrelated to past shoulder injuries.
“I’m very encouraged,” Swarzak said. “I’m rested up and ready to go.”
Swarzak, who spent the All-Star break at the team’s facilities in North Port, Florida, threw a bullpen session Wednesday without any complications.
The veteran believes he developed the inflammation from picking up his workouts in the offseason. He’d been throwing around more weight, trying to get stronger, and feels that prompted the irritation. It’s not an issue anymore, he said, and he’ll be altering his offseason workout routines in the future.
“This most recent trip to the IL was AC joint discomfort, which is normally a weight lifting injury,” he said. “I did get it throwing, but everyone I’ve talked to, even my offseason people, were pretty sure it stemmed from workouts. So that’s something we’ll address this offseason. As of now, in-season, I feel great and ready to go.”
Since the Braves acquired Swarzak in May, he’s been the most reliable arm in the bullpen. He’s posted a 0.52 ERA in 17 appearances, allowing just one run - a homer to Howie Kendrick - in 17-1/3 innings.
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