BALTIMORE — The Braves said an MRI revealed a posterior bone spur on pitcher Manny Banuelos' left elbow.
The Braves placed Banuelos on the 15-day disabled list Wednesday after he felt discomfort in his throwing elbow following his start at St. Louis on Friday. The team announced no timetable for when Banuelos would return to throwing.
“We’ll shut him down and let that thing calm down a bit before we move forward,” Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez said.
The diagnosis is relatively good news for Banuelos, a prospect the Braves acquired in a trade with the Yankees in January. He underwent Tommy John elbow surgery in October 2012, did not pitch during the 2013 season and is on a pitch limit for this season.
Banuelos was approaching that limit with 104 2/3 innings between Triple-A Gwinnett and the Braves this season. In five appearances for the Braves (four starts) and 21 2/3 innings Banuelos has a 2.49 ERA.
The Braves became concerned about Banuelos when his pitch velocity was down against the Cardinals. Banuelos had his least effective start of the season, with four earned runs allowed over five innings.
Banuelos, 24, made his big-league debut with a July 2 start. He joined the rotation after the Braves placed Williams Perez on the disabled list with a foot injury.
“I’ve loved everything about (Banuelos), the way he’s handled himself, the way he’s competed,” Gonzalez said. “He competed the other day (with) four or five (mph) less on his fastball. He’ll be fine.”
