Tom Glavine felt discomfort in his pitching shoulder Sunday while batting during a rehabilitation start for Class AA Mississippi and left after two innings. The veteran pitcher said he felt it while swinging, not throwing.
"It was all from swinging, felt great before," Glavine said in a text message. The Braves said the 43-year-old left-hander would be evaluated after returning to Atlanta.
"I don't know how bad it is, or if it's serious at all," Braves manager Bobby Cox said.
Glavine said he didn't have a gut feeling about the severity, either. At the least, the setback could prevent him from making his planned season debut Saturday at Pittsburgh.
He was charged with one run in two innings on three hits, including a home run, with one walk and no strikeouts. He threw 26 strikes in 36 pitches.
Glavine, Baseball's only non-retired 300-game win-ner, is attempting a comeback after having season-ending surgeries Sept. 21 to repair a torn flexor tendon in his left elbow and clean out wear-and-tear damage to the left shoulder.
If he's not ready to pitch Saturday --- the first day the Braves would need a fifth starter --- the team could turn to Buddy Carlyle or Jorge Campillo from the bullpen or dip into the minors for a replacement such as left-hander Jo-Jo Reyes, Charlie Morton or top prospect Tommy Hanson at Class AAA Gwinnett.
Hanson struck out 10 in 4 1/3 scoreless innings in his Gwinnett debut Thursday and would presumably have to skip his next scheduled turn in order to be rested to pitch Saturday. Hanson isn't on the 40-man roster, while Reyes is.
Ross to rehab
Catcher David Ross is scheduled to complete a short injury-rehab assignment Tuesday and Wednesday with Class A Rome and be activated Thursday, the first day he's eligible to come off the disabled list.
The veteran backup has been on the DL after straining his right groin in the final week of spring training.
Ross hit .267 with three homers in 40 at-bats in Grapefruit League games after signing a two-year, $3 million free-agent contract in December.
Catcher Brian McCann has caught every inning of all six games so far.
The Braves haven't required the services of backup catcher Clint Sammons because of two off days in the opening week.
Cox said he hadn't decided whether he would assign Ross to catch all of a specific starting pitcher's games, as the manager has done with his backup catcher in some seasons.
Etc.
Cox rested second baseman Kelly Johnson and first baseman Casey Kotchman on Sunday, sticking to a plan to rest them despite Johnson's three-hit games Friday and Saturday.
Utility man Omar Infante filled in for Johnson and went 2-for-3 with a double, a walk and two runs scored from the leadoff position.
Martin Prado, who had one at-bat before Sunday, filled in for Kotchman and contributed an RBI single in the three-run fourth inning. ...
Left fielder Garret Anderson (left calf strain) could be ready for the Florida series that starts Tuesday. He has missed four games since tweaking the same muscle he pulled in spring training.
