DENVER – Julio Teheran felt good during his light-throwing session Sunday and said he hopes to start in his next scheduled turn Thursday, though the Braves will wait to see how he feels throwing off a mound Tuesday as part of his usual between-starts routine.
Teheran left Friday’s game with back tightness in the latissimus dorsi muscle area behind and beneath his pitching shoulder, and the Braves wanted to see how the All-Star felt after two or three days before determining whether to place him on the 15-day disabled list or push back his next scheduled start a day or two.
If he continues to progress as he has in the past two days, the DL stint seems unlikely.
“I felt pretty good. I didn’t feel pain, so that’s good,” Teheran said after playing catch from a 90-foot distance in the outfield Sunday morning at Coors Field. “We’re just trying to see, we have tomorrow (day off in Minnesota) and just wait until Tuesday so I can throw on the mound and see how I’m feeling.”
Pressed further about his gut feeling of the situation and whether he’d make his next scheduled start, Teheran said, “Yeah, I think I’m going to be able to. We still have to wait. I mean, I feel pretty good. I don’t feel any pain, and that’s a good sign that it’s probably going to be (OK on) normal rest.
“But we’ll see how it goes the next few days and whenever I try to put a little more on my velo (velocity), we’ll see how I feel and decide what we’re going to do.”
Braves interim manager Brian Snitker said Saturday that the Braves were hopeful of Teheran avoiding the DL and said they could use the off day in the schedule Monday to easily shuffle the rotation and give him another day or two of rest, if necessary.
Still, Teheran indicated he could be ready to pitch Thursday in his regular spot in the rotation, without pushing him back to Friday or Saturday.
“Yeah, hopefully,” he said. “I’m trying my best to pitch on Thursday, the day I (am scheduled) to pitch. But if I need to be pushed (back) that’s fine. As soon as I feel good. I’m fine with it.”
Teheran gave up three hits and two walks in four scoreless innings Friday against the Rockies. He left with the Braves ahead 1-0 and got no decision in the 4-3 loss, after pitching seven scoreless innings of three-hit ball against the same team in his previous start Saturday in Atlanta and getting no decision in a 1-0 Braves win.
He is 3-6 despite a 2.16 ERA in his past 17 starts. The Braves scored two or fewer runs while he was in 11 of those games.
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