Braves right-hander Matt Wisler still must pass a few tests before he’s cleared to rejoin the starting rotation but his initial rehabilitation is going well enough that he said he believes he’ll only have to skip one turn.
“I’d like to think so, yeah,” Wisler said Monday. “Depends on how it goes playing catch (Tuesday), if I feel it or not. The treatment is going well. I do my core exercises (and) I don’t really feel it. I am hoping it doesn’t bother me when I play catch and I can make a start Saturday or Sunday.”
Wisler said if all goes as planned throwing from flat ground, he would then throw a 50-pitch bullpen session “to see if I can handle it” before making his next start.
Wisler skipped his scheduled start against the Nationals on Monday after he experienced abdominal soreness during his previous start. His next scheduled start is Saturday or Sunday depending on if interim manager Brian Snitker decides to push back the rotation with Thursday’s off day.
Wisler, 23, has made two strong starts since returning from a month-long stay at Triple-A Gwinnett. He limited the Diamondbacks to two hits and a run over eight innings on Aug. 25 and then held the Padres to a run over six innings with 10 strikeouts. Wisler said he first felt tightness in his side during the fifth inning against the Padres.
“I was starting to figure some stuff out right now so it’s frustrating for it to happen now,” he said. “I will take it as it is and get back on the bump hopefully in the next week or so and continue what I was doing.”
