Braves right-hander Shae Simmons suffered a setback in his rehabilitation program when he experienced what he described as tightness in his triceps following three appearances for Triple-A Gwinnett.
Simmons said his elbow “feels great” as he returns from Tommy John surgery performed in February 2015. He said his arm was feeling better and he hoped to continue his rehabilitation within a week.
Simmons threw a total of 75 pitches for Gwinnett during appearances on May 16, 18 and 21.
“I didn’t feel anything while I was throwing,” Simmons said. “It was just normal soreness the next day and it just carried on. We just wanted to take precaution and not rush into anything, just like we have been.”
Simmons is on a new, longer rehabilitation protocol adopted by the Braves after some of their prominent pitchers struggled in their return from Tommy John surgery. Simmons said the next step in his rehabilitation will depend on how triceps recovers over the weekend.
He said he’s “not at all” concerned that it’s a serious issue.
“It’s already starting to feel better,” Simmons said.
Simmons, 25, made 26 appearances as a rookie in 2014 while posting a 2.91 ERA with 23 strikeouts and 11 walks in 21 2/3 innings. His fastball averaged more than 95 miles per hour, according to FanGraphs data.
The Braves used Simmons in a late-inning role for most of 2014 and he will be a candidate to do the same out of their bullpen when he returns this season.
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