ATLANTA -- Mike Minor is back in Atlanta, but that's not great news for the Braves.
The lefty starter is on the disabled list with left rotator cuff inflammation, and was at the point in his rehab where he had just gotten back on the mound to throw. That's when discomfort set in, according to director of baseball operations John Hart.
"He has experienced some discomfort as he's began to stretch himself out," said Hart on Sunday. "We brought him up here to have our medical people actually take a look at what's going on. We don't have any recommendation as of yet. He's going to go back to Florida. He's going to continue where he's been and we'll just have to monitor where he is as we go through next week to 10 days of his rehab."
Minor has undergone multiple MRI's and nothing has been terribly disturbing with the results. Hart didn't want to say exploratory surgery was on the horizon, but he didn't rule it out.
"There is some level of concern because the discomfort came back," said Hart. "I think that's something [exploratory surgery] Mike wants to avoid and I think that's one of the reasons we wanted to bring him up was to examine all the alternatives. He wants to get back. He's down there grinding it out and I don't think there's any question he wants to come back without doing anything where you have to go in and scope it. We're not there yet. Not by any stretch of the imagination; we're not there yet.
"If this thing continues [the discomfort] that's certainly an option."
Hart continues to look at Minor's return as a glass-half-full situation, but warned that his return to the team would have to be one where his shoulder reveals when it's ready. Only Minor will be able to tell when the discomfort is gone. And then doctors will have to clear him once they're sure his shoulder is ready for the rigors of regular-season work.
"I'm going to remain glass half full," said Hart. "At the same point there's not an easy answer to this."
Minor went through his entire rehab protocol. He pitched from 60 feet, then 120 and went through long toss. When he got on the mound is when he felt the same discomfort from March when he was shut down during spring training.
Hart's only remark about Minor's timetable for return was to say that it will slow down.
"Right now that discomfort is there," said Hart. "We wanted to get our arms around it."
