On Wednesday, Braves reliever Lucas Luetge underwent an MRI – “just out of precaution,” he said – as the team tried to get a full view of his left bicep inflammation.
“All of that came back great,” Luetge said. “So, nothing overly serious.”
That’s good news for Luetge, whom the Braves placed on the 15-day injured list at the beginning of the week. Luetge on Friday said he hasn’t been throwing, but added that he expects to begin his throwing progression in a few days.
“Every pitcher goes through certain things,” Luetge said. “This is a little more extreme soreness where it just wouldn’t calm down. Usually when you have this, a couple days off is kind of good. This time, it just didn’t (improve). It is what it is.”
Since the Brewers drafted him in 2008, the left-handed Luetge has missed time for only two reasons: Tommy John surgery and a broken finger.
With his bicep inflammation, the team didn’t want him to do much before undergoing the MRI, just so they knew the exact scope of his injury. Most of the treatment, Luetge said, involves needling, massages or laser work.
“And then because you’re (not throwing), you got to start your shoulder exercises back up because you don’t want to just crank it back into it,” said Luetge, who is doing those exercises after his MRI came back clean.
Of the steps he might need to take in his progression before returning, Luetge said: “We haven’t gotten that far into talking. I don’t plan on going two weeks without pitching to a hitter, so I’m assuming I would need to face some hitters once or twice. But really, won’t know until I start throwing again and just see how it feels. I’m hoping when I throw again, it’s going to be completely back to normal, but until you do it, you just don’t know.”
Luetge last pitched April 12 versus Cincinnati. But he said he first felt the bicep soreness when San Diego came to town. He pitched April 6, 7 and 9 in that series, tossing a combined 3-2/3 innings.
Luetge tried to push through it, but it was bugging him after the outing against Cincinnati. That’s when the Braves, he said, told him they would give him the Kansas City series off in hopes that it would improve.
It didn’t.
The Braves placed Luetge on the injured list. They needed to bring back Fried, and they couldn’t afford to waste a roster spot while Luetge got healthy. It made perfect sense.
Luetge, on the other hand, didn’t want to put the team in a bad spot.
Collin McHugh has another successful rehab outing
In a start for High-A Rome, Collin McHugh hurled three scoreless innings. He allowed two hits. He struck out two batters and didn’t walk any.
McHugh threw 34 pitches, 23 for strikes.
Over two rehab outings in High A, McHugh has thrown 4 2/3 scoreless innings.
He can return whenever the Braves deem him ready.
D’Arnaud progressing
Travis d’Arnaud (concussion) took a nice step in his progression to return from his injury. On Friday, he hit in the batting cage, manager Brian Snitker said.
“After he does something like that, it’s how he handles it after (his workout) more than during,” Snitker said.
The manager will defer to head athletic trainer George Poulis for d’Arnaud’s progression. The athletic training staff will continue to evaluate d’Arnaud as he goes.
D’Arnaud can return whenever the team feels he’s ready.
Iglesias continues his progression
Raisel Iglesias on Thursday threw another bullpen session, which appears to be his second side session.
After not throwing for a while, Iglesias is going through the standard progression, as he would in spring training.
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