LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. — Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez hasn't named his opening-day starting pitcher and might not for at least another two or three weeks. But if the Braves maintain their rotation order throughout the Grapefruit League schedule, Kris Medlen appears to be in line to start the March 31 opener at Milwaukee.
The Braves open the spring-training schedule Wednesday when veteran pitcher Freddy Garcia starts against Detroit at Champion Stadium. He’ll be followed in the next four games by Medlen on Thursday against the Tigers in Lakeland, Brandon Beachy on Friday night against Houston, Julio Teheran vs. Washington on Saturday, and Alex Wood and David Hale in split squad games Sunday against the Tigers and Astros.
If Medlen pitches every fifth game and Braves starters get an extra day of rest on the team’s day off March 24, Medlen would be in line to start the opener against the Brewers on one extra day of rest. The Braves have an exhibition game against top prospects March 29 at Rome, then a workout in Milwaukee on March 30, the day before their opener.
Mike Minor is likely to miss at least a couple of Grapefruit League starts after experiencing soreness in his throwing shoulder in the first week of camp and being shut down for about a week. Minor wasn’t able to work out or throw in January after a urinary-tract procedure on Dec. 31. He has resumed throwing, but hasn’t pitched off the mound yet.
Because of off days after the first two series of the regular season, the Braves won’t need a fifth starter until April 12 in the 10th game of the season. As of now, Minor and team officials believe he’ll be ready for his regular-season debut by then and perhaps a little sooner.
