The Braves are coming down the stretch without two of their big guns, with Jair Jurrjens missing Sunday’s start and maybe more as he gets a second opinion on his ailing right knee, and Tommy Hanson still out with a sore shoulder.
But the Braves have a series of capable young starters to plug into the rotation in the meantime. Randall Delgado will get his third major league start Sunday against the Dodgers, joining Mike Minor, who’s been up since early August. And Julio Teheran will start in the doubleheader Thursday in New York.
Braves general manager Frank Wren said Friday he’s hopeful the Braves will get Hanson back.
“I’m very hopeful that Tommy can turn it around and get ready,” Wren said. “We’ve got to hopefully get him going quickly so that he can get stretched back out. Then JJ we’ll wait and see.”
Hanson took a good first step Friday, playing catch for the first time since he cut short a bullpen session in Chicago on Aug. 23. Hanson threw two sets of 30 from 60 feet and reported that his shoulder felt good.
“The true test is going to be when I start throwing off a mound, but it felt good,” said Hanson, who was diagnosed with an undersurface tear to his rotator cuff, considered normal wear and tear. “It feels better than last time I started doing this, so I think the rehab and all the stuff I’ve been doing definitely helped.”
Hanson said he’ll continue throwing catch over the weekend then pick up the intensity Monday.
Jurrjens is headed to Vail, Colo., on Saturday to have his knee examined by specialist Dr. Richard Steadman on Sunday. An MRI taken Wednesday revealed a bone bruise but no tear in his meniscus.
Delgado, starting in his place Sunday, is expected to arrive from Triple-A Gwinnett on Saturday. He no-hit the Giants for six innings in his second of two major league starts this year, before giving up a solo home run.
Medlen targets 2012
Kris Medlen’s chances of returning this season had been minimal since he was shut down for six weeks with a setback, but now it’s official. It’s September, and Medlen has resumed his throwing program, but only with an eye toward returning next season from elbow-reconstruction surgery.
Medlen has played long toss three of the past four days and is scheduled to throw his first bullpen session since July on Sunday. But it’s all geared toward coming back next season.
“I want to play but I’ve accepted it,” Medlen said. “I was optimistic that after the six weeks I’d be able to jump right in and I have, but it was just too much time off and be able to come back.”
Medlen plans to throw three bullpen session next week and then head to instructional league. The idea is to build up to five innings, shut down for the offseason, and then come into spring training ready to go.
Medlen had surgery Aug. 18, 2010, and had hoped to be back in action this August. But he had two setbacks with lingering elbow discomfort in June and July. After the layoff though, he said his elbow feels great.
“My arm feels awesome,” Medlen said. “There’s nothing in the back of my mind, no guarding it at all.”
Kemp leaves
Braves director of player development Kurt Kemp has stepped down to pursue other baseball opportunities, Wren said Friday. Kemp has overseen the Braves minor league operations for the past five years.
He had been with the Braves since 1998, including his first four years as an area scout and the next five as a cross-checker.
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