Injury Update: Brandon Beachy

May 22, 2012; Cincinnati, OH, USA; Atlanta Braves starting pitcher

(37) pitches during the first inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park. Mandatory Credit: Frank Victores-USA TODAY Sports

Brandon Beachy is on the long road of recovering from “Tommy John” elbow reconstruction surgery.  He will throw off the mound again today (Tuesday) in part of many scheduled batting practice sessions before making an rehab games.

Beachy threw to Andrelton Simmons last week in a bp session and then on Sunday he threw in the indoor cages to stationary hitters.  Brandon said after he threw “It came out better, it was definitely a lot better yesterday than it was two days (before) in terms of velocity, just the crispness of everything.”

This is a good sign for our top of the line starting pitcher.  He is on the path to throw three or four more sessions before he is cleared to begin on a roughly six minor league starts.  If all goes well and he doesn’t experience any set backs he should begin his rehab games around mid-May and then return to the Braves around the time of his surgery last season, June 21st.

It is hard to say what the Braves will do when Beachy returns.  Some say Julio Teheran will be sent down to clear a spot in the starting rotation…I don’t feel this way.  I know the Braves organization will be smart with this injury as they were with Kris Medlen a few years back.  No rush to throw him back into the starting rotation.  Unless the Braves are in dire need of starting pitching come June, I would let him come out of the bullpen until he builds his arm up to what it was two years ago.

If all stayed the same with pitching health and it was June 21st 2013, what would you do if Beachy was scheduled to return to the Braves roster?