PHOENIX — A day after Braves pitching prospect J.R. Graham left a Double-A game with shoulder soreness, team officials were cautiously optimistic as they awaited a doctor's report.

Braves assistant GM Bruce Manno said Graham had normal day-after-pitching soreness Tuesday and the team was waiting for a report from the examining physician, who had been in surgery all day.

Graham pitched two scoreless innings Monday before motioning to trainers after he felt a twinge or discomfort in his shoulder during his warmup prior to the third inning. He did well on strength tests performed afterward.

The 23-year-old was the Braves’ minor league pitcher of the year in 2012, after going 12-2 with a 2.80 ERA over 26 starts in high Class-A and Double-A. Rated as the oganization’s No. 2 prospect by Baseball America entering the 2013 season, he’s 1-3 with a 4.04 ERA in eight starts at Double-A Mississippi.

About the Author

Keep Reading

Former Braves star Dale Murphy throws out the first pitch before Game 2 of the NLCS against the Los Angeles Dodgers Sunday, Oct. 17, 2021, at Truist Park in Atlanta. (Hyosub Shin / Hyosub.Shin@ajc.com)

Credit: Hyosub Shin / Hyosub.Shin@ajc.com

Featured

Former Fulton County election worker Ruby Freeman talks to her daughter, Wandrea ArShaye "Shaye" Moss, a former Georgia election worker, after she testified before the U.S. House Select Committee at its fourth hearing on its Jan. 6 investigation on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday, June 21, 2022. (Yuri Gripas/Abaca Press/TNS)

Credit: TNS