Comebacks are as common to pitcher Kris Medlen as curveballs. Launching another, he made a marked stride Wednesday.
After a quite brief stopover at Double-A Mississippi, Medlen, 31, was promoted to the Braves Triple-A outpost in Gwinnett.
He wasn’t long for Pearl, Miss., where he last pitched in 2007-08 on his way up as a young Braves prospect. He joined the M-Braves May 28, made two starts and posted a 1.74 ERA in 10.1 innings.
A 10th-round pick of the Braves in 2006, he roared back from his first Tommy John elbow surgery (2010) to be the team's most dependable arm in 2012, going 10-1 with a 1.57 ERA. Over one stretch of 23 consecutive Medlen starts, from 2010 to 2012, the Braves won each time. He pitched way above his head (Medlen stands only 5-9).
While recovering from his second Tommy John surgery, Medlen signed a two-year deal with Kansas City two years later. He made 15 appearances for the 2015 World Series-champion Royals (6-2, 4.01 ERA) and missed the bulk of 2016 with shoulder issues. Pondering retirement, he changed his pitching mechanics instead and signed a minor league deal with the Braves this year.
