The Braves soon could receive reinforcements for their thin starting rotation, with Julio Teheran, John Gant and Williams Perez all making progress in their rehabilitation programs.
Interim manager Brian Snitker said Teheran (back) is scheduled to throw from flat ground Saturday. The Braves placed him on the 15-day disabled list Tuesday, retroactive to Sunday.
“We are going to want him to go five innings at some point, and then five days after that he will be ready to go, provided everything goes well,” Snitker said.
Teheran is the most experienced pitcher in the team’s rotation and was its only representative at the All-Star game this season. He was diagnosed with tightness in his upper back after leaving a July 22 start at Colorado and made one more start before the Braves decided to rest him so as to avoid recurring problems.
Snitker said Gant is scheduled to throw five innings or 75 pitches for Single-A Rome on Saturday. Gant left a June 27 start because of a strained oblique and went on the DL the next day.
Gant has been back and forth between the majors and Triple-A Gwinnett all season. At the time of his injury he had posted a 3.38 ERA in four starts after he had a 6.17 ERA in seven relief appearances.
Snitker said another starting pitcher, Williams Perez, is close to throwing from the mound. The Braves placed him on the DL on June 8 with a strain to the rotator cuff in his throwing shoulder.
Snitker also updated the injury status of four other injured players:
- Catcher Tyler Flowers caught a bullpen session Friday and "is progressing really, really well," Snitker said. The Braves placed Flowers on the disabled list July 15, retroactive to July 10, because of fracture to his left hand. Flowers was splitting time with A.J. Pierzynski.
- Reliever Arodys Vizcaino threw the bullpen session to Flowers. He went on the disabled list July 16 with a strain to his oblique muscle. Vizcaino was the closer at the time of his injury.
- Reliever Shae Simmons pitched an inning for Rome on Friday and is scheduled to do so again Sunday, Snitker said. Simmons is recovering from Tommy John elbow surgery performed in February 2015. He shut down his rehab program in June because of tendinitis near his throwing shoulder
- Snitker said the fracture in rookie outfielder Mallex Smith's left thumb had been slow to heal, "but now it's taken a turn for the better." Smith still is at least two weeks away from beginning his rehab, Snitker said. Smith went on the disabled list June 21, and the Braves later said he would miss eight to 10 weeks.
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