MIAMI — When Brandon Beachy resumes his minor league rehab stint with a start Tuesday night at Triple-A Gwinnett, the opposing pitcher will certainly be familiar. Jair Jurrjens.
Jurrjens, a teammate of Beachy’s during the past three seasons with the Braves, will start for the Orioles’ Norfolk affiliate, and he’s not on rehab. Trying to revive his career after being released by the Braves, Jurrjens is 5-6 with a 4.38 ERA in 15 starts for Norfolk this season, and had a 4.91 ERA for Baltimore in a brief callup (two games, one start).
Beachy is set for 45-55 pitches or three innings in his first game since June 13, when he gave up three runs in three innings of his fifth minor league rehab start and developed inflammation in his surgically repaired pitching elbow.
The right-hander had been scheduled to return to the Braves for a June 18 start in a doubleheader against the Mets, but that was scrapped and Beachy was shut down for nearly two weeks until the inflammation subsided. Now he’s scheduled to make at least two or three more rehab starts before the Braves figure out when and where to put him back in the rotation.
Beachy had a 2.00 ERA and majors-best .171 opponents’ average in 13 starts last season before season-ending “Tommy John” surgery in June. Manager Fredi Gonzalez said Monday, as he did during Beachy’s previous rehab stints, that the Braves haven’t decided what they’ll do to fit him in the rotation, and they’ll wait to see what transpires before then.
Barring an injury, the Braves will presumably either move someone to the bullpen or trade a starter before the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline, if they are confident Beachy is healthy and ready to help the rotation.
Gattis update: Rookie slugger Evan Gattis, recovering from a strained oblique went from hitting balls off a tee – which he'd done since Friday – to hitting balls flipped to him by a coach Monday afternoon at Marlins Park. He also continued his throwing and running drills.
Gonzalez said if there are no setbacks, Gattis could begin taking batting practice after the Braves get back to Atlanta for a homestand that begins Thursday.
He’ll need a minor league rehab stint before he comes off the DL, which means Gattis is likely looking at rejoining the big-league team after the July 15-18 All-Star break.
