Associated Press
ATLANTA ó Braves pitcher Tom Glavine felt better about his ailing left shoulder after throwing in the outfield Monday, but the 305-game winner still isn’t sure if he’ll be able to extend his career.
The 43-year-old Glavine stopped throwing for two weeks after his shoulder began hurting during a minor league rehab start. He threw in the outfield before Sunday’s game at Cincinnati, then withstood a more strenuous test ó two sets of 15 throws from 70 feet ó prior to the opener of a three-game series against St. Louis at Turner Field,
“I feel OK,” Glavine said. “I’m definitely making some progress. I’m not going to sit here and say I’m 100 percent pain-free, but I’ve made progress. In some areas, it’s a lot. In some, not so great.”
Glavine said he hopes to throw off the mound before the end of a nine-day homestand. That’s when he should truly know if he’ll be able to pitch one more season.
“I’m more optimistic and less emotional than I was two weeks ago,” he said. “I’ve been through it in my mind, ‘What if this is it?’ I’ve confronted those feelings and somewhat come to grip with those feelings. I’m looking at it more matter-of-factly. I want to put in the work and give it one more shot.”
Glavine made only 13 starts last season, going 2-4 with a 5.54 ERA, and went on the disabled list for the first time in his career.