SAN FRANCISCO — A day after cutting short a planned 15-20 pitch mound session due to elbow discomfort, Braves reliever Jonny Venters was back on the mound for another go at it. He made it through the planned 15 pitches this time, but didn't try to paint any rosy picture of the session.
“Felt alright, ball’s coming out good,” the left-hander said. “I threw 15 (pitches) today, off the mound. Just wanted to see how it would respond. It’s still sore. Still some discomfort. But the ball’s coming out good, as good as it ever has. So just trying to feel it out, see if I can make pitches and see if it’ll hold together.”
Venters received a platelet-rich plasma injection in his elbow from Dr. James Andrews on April 2, in hopes of avoiding surgery after injuring the elbow pitching in a game during the last week of spring training.
After following doctor’s orders to rest the arm for four weeks and allow the medication to take effect, Venters resumed flat-ground throwing on April 30 and was encouraged by how his elbow responded to those sessions. When he moved to the mound and put a different level of stress on the joint, he had some soreness Thursday and pulled the plug after about 10 pitches.
“It felt about the same (as Thursday),” he said following his Friday afternoon session at AT&T Park. “I was trying to get on it a little more to test it. It feels strong. So we’ll see. See how it feels tomorrow. Take it day-by-day for now.”
