Doctors have told Braves right-hander Mike Foltynewicz that the discomfort in his elbow is caused by bone spurs and not any structural damage. He’s been assured that he can continue pitching.
After taking some time off, Foltynewicz got back to it on Saturday. In his first rehabilitation start for Triple-A Gwinnett Foltynewicz allowed one hit and no runs over five innings with five strikeouts.
Foltynewicz threw 43 strikes on 65 total pitches. He said he threw with his normal mechanics and felt “better than I thought I would” physically after the outing.
“Now that they said everything is fine I am going to put that not even in the back of the head,” he said. “Just go out there and continue pitching and attack hitters and not even worry about it.”
Foltynewicz is scheduled to throw a bullpen session on Monday. The plan is for him to make one more start in the minors and, if all goes well, rejoin the Braves and make two starts before the All-Star break.
“Mentally and physically, it’s all coming back,” he said.
The Braves placed Foltynewicz on the 15-day disabled list retroactively to May 31 after he reported feeling pain while doing normal activities. He had allowed one three hits and a run over six innings against the Giants on May 30.
Foltynewicz, 24, has shown promise in his second season with the Braves since they acquired him as part of the Evan Gattis trade. In six starts this season he’s posted a 3.51 ERA with 7.6 strikeouts per nine innings. Foltynewicz also has significantly reduced his walk rate from 7.3 percent in 2015 to 5.8 this season.
