Braves fans have frequently asked about the status of lefty Luiz Gohara and reliever Darren O’Day, but the team has offered little in the way of updates regarding those two sidelined pitchers. Reliever Jonny Venters, meanwhile, nears a rehab assignment.
Gohara, the once-promising flamethrower, had his 2018 season derailed by injury and unfortunate off-field circumstances. He arrived at spring training this year in good shape, but didn’t pitch in any games because of a shoulder issue.
He’s still yet to pitch in games, according to manager Brian Snitker, who said Gohara is throwing at extended spring training in Florida. There’s no timetable for when he’ll get in games, and he’s simply an extreme long shot to contribute to the major-league club.
As for O’Day, who missed much of last season with a torn hamstring, he’s still recovering from a forearm strain that limited him to one game in spring training. He’s yet to resume throwing, meaning there’s no timeline for his return.
“He’ll be re-evaluated Tuesday,” Snitker said. “They keep re-evaluating to see if he can start throwing yet.”
The Braves had more promising news regarding Venters. The veteran has been sidelined by a right-calf strain since mid-April. He threw a bullpen session Wednesday and could begin a rehab assignment Thursday.
Venters walked five and allowed six runs in his six early appearances. He contributed to the team’s bullpen woes, though there’s optimism a healthy Venters could still be valuable.
“We could see him in a few days if he’s feeling good,” Snitker said. “His stuff was good. … Obviously it wasn’t his arm. If he feels good and his legs are good, where we’re at, we’ll get him back in there.”
