Tommy

Hanson

Hanson has done well long-tossing so far, so getting back on the mound is the next step. While it’s all good news so far, he remains iffy to pitch for the Braves again this season.

Hanson threw his first bullpen session Sunday and could go to the instructional league or throw another bullpen session this week. He’ll need to make a start before the end of the regular season in order to be considered for the postseason rotation.

Hanson felt good after throwing sets of 20 and 24 pitches. He’ll likely throw one more bullpen session before heading down to Florida to pitch in the instructional league. Barring a setback, there’s still a chance he’ll be able to make a start in the majors before the end of the regular season.

Hanson came away from the outing without any issues, so he is now slated to throw three or four innings Friday in an instructional league game. If all goes well (and the Braves clinch the Wild Card), he could start the regular season finale against the Phillies on September 28.

Hanson left an instructional league appearance on Friday due to more shoulder discomfort, but the Braves haven’t ruled out him making an appearance before the end of the season. It might seem like they’re being awfully risky with a complicated joint, but they’ve been assured that Hanson will not need surgery to repair small subsurface tear of his rotator cuff. While that’s certainly good news, the likelihood that we’ll see him pitch again this year isn’t high.

It’s his first bit of activity since he suffered a mild concussion during a car accident Monday. Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez said Hanson might only “play a little catch” when he does return to the field before progressing to bullpen sessions. It’s unfortunate that he’s behind schedule, especially after last year’s injury issues, but the concussion doesn’t seem like it will be a major hurdle for Hanson.

Hanson suffered a mild (Grade 1) concussion in a one-car accident early last week, but was cleared to return to the mound after passing two imPACT tests. Wednesday’s session went well, but Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez said he likely won’t face hitters until Friday.

There was some question about whether Hanson’s concussion would have an impact on his preparation for the new season, but Braves pitching coach Roger McDowell told manager Fredi Gonzalez that the 25-year-old right-hander should still have plenty of time to get ready. Gonzalez believes he’ll start one of the first four games, though likely not the season opener against the Mets on April 5.

Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez said Hanson would likely come back on regular rest if he threw about 85 pitches against the Mets Thursday, and he wound up throwing 83. Delgado is holding down the No. 5 spot until Tim Hudson (back) is ready.

Hanson struck out five and walked three in the game. He easily silenced the league’s lowest scoring offense with minimal effort in this outing. The lone run that scored came across after Andrew McCutchen singled, stole a base and came home on a Garrett Jones single in the fourth inning. He’ll attempt to carry over the momentum from this strong outing when he takes on the Phillies next week.