ATLANTA — The Atlanta Braves got Mike Minor back in early May last season. It will be later than that — if at all — this season.
The left-handed starter had a setback in his rehabilitation when he again experienced pain in his shoulder while throwing off the mound.
Minor was shut down for two weeks during spring training because of shoulder inflammation and has been rehabilitating in Florida.
“There obviously is some level of concern because the discomfort came back,” Braves president of baseball operations John Hart said Sunday.
Minor, on the disabled list, returned to Florida after he was examined in Atlanta by the Braves’ medical staff.
No structural damage has been found and Minor has less inflammation than when he was initially shut down. He will have to scale back his rehab, though.
“Rather than continue, we wanted to bring him back up and have it looked at. We are sending him back and we will continue to manage it. We wanted to make sure there was nothing suspicious going on.”
Nothing worse was found, but that doesn’t mean the Braves know for sure if they will get Minor back this season or at what point.
“I’m a glass-half-full guy, but having done this a long time, (the shoulder) will have to medically tell you,” Hart said. “It’s going to have to tell Mike and it’s going to have to tell our medical people. I’m going to remain glass half full.”
Minor also was shut down with shoulder issues during 2014 spring training and didn’t make his first start until May 2. He went on to post career-worst numbers in ERA (4.77) as well as walks and hits per inning pitched (1.44) for a full season.
Minor did not make his final scheduled start of the 2014 season because of shoulder pain, but said he felt good in spring training until throwing batting practice.
Hart said Minor will see how he progresses over the next week to 10 days before the Braves consider the next step. Hart said exploratory arthroscopic surgery isn’t being looked at right now.
“Obviously that’s something that could happen,” Hart said. “That’s something obviously Mike wants to avoid. I think that’s one reason we wanted to bring him up was to examine all of the alternatives, all of the options.
“I don’t think there is any question he wants to come back without doing anything where you have to go in there and scope it. We are not there yet by any stretch of the imagination. If this thing continues, that is certainly an option.”