Pitcher Kevin Gausman, who missed time with a sore shoulder this spring, threw 78 pitches over 3-1/3 innings in the Braves' 4-2 exhibition win over Tampa Bay at the new CoolToday Park on Sunday.
Gausman will open the season on the injured list, formerly known as the disabled list, but he could join the rotation as soon as April 5 if he builds up to about 90 pitches by then.
“I felt like this was another step of getting close to being ready,” Gausman said of Sunday’s outing. He allowed no runs, three hits and three walks, struck out five and said afterward that his shoulder felt good.
“Hats off to the training staff,” Gausman said. “They’ve done a really good job of making sure my program was … everything that I needed. They did a really good job of strengthening my shoulder up and … also kind of tweaking my preparation.”
Also in Sunday's game, Matt Joyce — the veteran outfielder acquired by the Braves from the Giants on Saturday — went 1-for-3 with two strikeouts.
