Braves left-hander Paul Maholm was eligible to come off the disabled list on Monday but is just beginning to throw off the mound again as he recovers from a bruised left wrist. He is probably still at least a week to 10 days away from pitching in a game.
Maholm threw 30-35 pitches in a side session Sunday in Philadelphia and said his wrist responded well. He’ll add another 15 or 20 pitches in another side session on Tuesday as he continues to build strength back up.
Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez said if all continues to go well, Maholm would likely throw some live batting practice and then head out for a minor league rehabilitation game.
“Not being on the mound in two weeks, it’s more of the hand felt good and everything else was a little rough (command-wise),” Maholm said. “That’s something that throwing every other day is going to take care of. Everything else feels good. I’m taking it as a positive. Be healthy and finish up the season, hopefully pitch well enough to be a part of something at the end.”
Rookie left-hander Alex Wood has won each of his past two starts in Maholm’s place, while allowing four earned runs in 13 innings.
Notable: Wood won Sunday night's game against the Phillies on ESPN while wearing initials on his cap of a close high school friend who was in a canoeing accident on the Catawba River near Charlotte, N.C. on Saturday. Wood said he got word Monday that after spending two days in a coma, his friend had regained consciousness and was talking. "It's been a good day," said Wood. …
Catcher Gerald Laird is still recovering from a procedure to remove a kidney stone. Depending on his progress, he will either start a minor league rehabilitation assignment Wednesday in Single-A Rome or Friday with Triple-A Gwinnett with the idea that he would be activated from the disabled list on Saturday.
