Braves delay Beachy's return due to tenderness in elbow

Published Jun. 14, 2013 9:35 p.m. ET

foxsports

ATLANTA — The Braves' plan for Brandon Beachy's return has hit a snag.
Citing tenderness in Beachy's elbow after Thursday's start for Triple-A Gwinnett, general manager Frank Wren announced the right-hander will not start in Tuesday's doubleheader against the Mets.
It was slated to be Beachy's first start since undergoing Tommy John surgery on June 21, 2012.
"He's a little more tender than he had been in the past, post-start, so we're going to scratch him from the start Tuesday and let him heal up a little bit," Wren said.
This was the first setback for Beachy, who did not look crisp in what was his final scheduled rehab assignment. He gave up three runs, two earned and walked four in three innings.
In five rehab start in all at Rome, Mississippi and Gwinnett, Beachy struck out 22 in 22 innings and walked 12. But his command was inconsistent at times, a common issue for players coming back from Tommy John.
Doctors saw nothing structurally wrong with Beachy's elbow, with Wren citing a desire to see the inflammation go down before deciding when Beachy will pitch again.
"There's no rush," Wren said. "We had hoped he could make this start in the doubleheader, but it wasn't a make-or-break start, obviously. The most important thing is to get him healthy long-term and we feel like pushing him back and giving him more time is the prudent thing to do."
The Braves have not made a decision on who will pitch either of Tuesday's game. Wren said that will come after Sunday night's conclusion of the Giants series.