Mike Minor rejoined the Braves Monday after completing his rehab work Saturday in Gwinnett. He’ll throw a bullpen on Tuesday and if all goes well, he could rejoin the Braves rotation Saturday against the Reds, at the earliest. Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez said they’ll make a determination after he throws Tuesday.
“Nothing is written in stone,” Gonzalez said. “It’s a two-way conversation and we’ll go from there.”
The trick will be to try to fit back in. Entering the Marlins’ series, the Braves rotation was leading the majors’ with a 1.54 ERA.
“(Do) I feel like they don’t need me? Yeah,” Minor said, drawing laughs during a pre-game media scrum at this locker. “They’ve been doing great. I feel like our hitters, our pitchers, defense, they’re playing really well without me. I want to be back, I want to help out, but I don’t want to mess up anything either.”
Minor led the Braves staff in innings pitched (204 2/3) and strikeouts (181) last year while posting a 13-9 record with a 3.21 ERA. He started hitting his stride at the All-Star break in 2012 – and is fourth in the majors with a 2.90 ERA since that time - and said he thinks last year was just a continue of that momentum.
“I want to feel like I’ve continued from last year, but it’s going to be just a little bit different,” Minor said.
Minor underwent urinary tract surgery on Dec. 31 which threw off his preseason routine and might have contributed to shoulder soreness he experienced when he first starting ramping up before spring training.
“I’m coming in a little bit later,” Minor said. “These guys have got a lot of starts ahead of me under their belt, so I think that’s going to be the biggest different for me is I want to jump right in, I want to feel like I’ve continued from last year, but it’s going to be just a little bit different.”
Minor threw 80 pitches Saturday night in Triple-A Gwinnett, allowing three runs (two earned) in six innings. He says he could probably get up to 90 or 100 pitches in his next start.
Minor went 2-1 with a 3.52 ERA, allowing six earned runs in 15 innings, over four minor league rehabilitation starts. He said the shoulder tendinitis which delayed his start during springing has not been an issue.
“I don’t feel my shoulder anymore,” Minor said. “It’s more of getting those starts in and working my pitch count up and trying to work mechanically in my bullpens, (taking it) into the games and just throwing strikes.”
