KISSIMMEE http://www.whitesoxfanproshop.com/authentic-paul-konerko-jersey , Fla. (AP) — Braves on opening day.The All-Star right-hander has yet to make an appearance in a spring training game because of discomfort in his elbow that began about two weeks ago. While not believed to be a serious issue, Foltynewicz was forced to push back his throwing schedule.General manager Alex Anthopoulos said Monday the team has been mapping out his routine for the next several weeks, but that won’t leave enough to time for him to be ready for the March 28 opener at NL East rival Philadelphia.“We’re just trying to figure out at what point do we get him up to five innings?” Anthopoulos said. “He’s not that far removed from throwing (off the mound), but we still want to be careful how we build him up. If he was going to come back as a reliever, he’d be ready to go that first series. But right now, the way it’s trending, it’s going to take a little bit of time in the season to get him stretched out to start.”Foltynewicz was expected to make his first opening-day start after emerging as Atlanta’s top starter last year, when he went 13-10 with a 2.85 ERA and was selected for his first All-Star Game. He recorded 202 strikeouts in 183 innings for the Braves, who won the NL East title and made their first playoff appearance since 2013..With Foltynewicz out, the Braves could go with right-hander Julio Teheran (9-9, 3.94 ERA in 2018) on opening day for the sixth year in a row. Lefty Sean Newcomb (12-9, 3.90) is another possibility.“Philadelphia has a lot of right-handed bats,” Anthopoulos said. “Obviously, Bryce (Harper) is fantastic from the left side, but it is a right-handed-hitting team. Certain guys do line up well with right-handers. That being said, we’re playing more than one game against them. I know it’s a big deal who gets the opening-day start. We’ll just line things up and see who gives us the best chance to win.”The Braves have been plagued by nagging injuries during spring training Welington Castillo Jersey , which has altered the throwing schedule for pitchers such as A.J. Minter, Darren O’Day, Mike Soroka, Max Fried and Kevin Gausman. But Anthopoulos said all are expected to be ready to pitch by opening day.The team is keeping a close eye on Minter, who had 15 saves last season and is competing for a spot as the closer. He hurt his left shoulder in a minor car accident about two weeks ago.“Being left handed, the seat belt is over on the left side and he said he felt it on top of the shoulder,” Anthopoulos said. “He’s moving in the right direction, feeling better. Because he’s a reliever and we’re building him up to throw an inning, we have time.”Minter is scheduled to return to the mound this weekend.“Assuming he feels good, we can progress and move pretty fast after that, “Anthopoulos said. “Obviously, it’s a day-to-day thing. We’ll see how he’s progressing. But we’re still optimistic that he could be ready to go by” the first game.Though the Braves will only need four starters early in the season because of multiple off days, Foltynewicz’s absence could open a spot for one of the numerous young pitchers competing for a spot in the rotation. In the early going, 23-year-old Kyle Wright has been especially impressive, throwing five scoreless innings in his first two spring appearances, with no walks and six strikeouts.While the former first-round pick was expected to spend at least one more year in the minors, he could change that timeline if he continues to shine in spring training.“We believe in him long term David Ross Jersey ,” Anthopoulos said. “But I wouldn’t have told you that I would have thought coming into camp that he’d be right there battling for a rotation spot the way he’s throwing. … I’m curious to see if he can keep it going. But he looks great, his stuff looks great. He’s right there in the mix the way he’s throwing the ball.” There are internal and free agent options that could bolster the team behind the dish."WhiteFanposts Fanshots Sections Detroit Tigers AnalysisDetroit Tigers Prospect NotebookDetroit Tigers Game ThreadsDetroit Tigers NewsDetroit Tigers PodcastsDetroit Tigers RumorsThe Tigers should seek an upgrade for James McCann this offseason — here are a few optionsNew,85commentsThere are internal and free agent options that could bolster the team behind the dish.hunting for veteran presence to help guide the youth movement. His defense leaves something to be desired, though.Matt WietersOffensively, Wieters doesn’t have the most exciting production. He hit .238/.330/.374 this past season, which was actually an improvement over 2017. But since he only had 76 plate appearances, his run production was way down, with only eight home runs and 30 RBI. His defense, though, deserves notice. His caught stealing rocketed upwards from 25 percent in 2017 to a reaaaally pretty 37 percent in 2018 putting him fifth in the NL, and one percentage point higher than McCann. Weiters has spent the bulk of his 10-year career in Baltimore, and the 32-year-old is still young enough to have some good seasons left behind the dish. Yasmani GrandalThe youngest of the free agent catchers on this abbreviated list, Grandal is only 30 years old. He is a fine batter by catcher standards, hitting .241/.349/.466 in 2018 with 24 home runs and 68 RBI. His caught stealing is at 28 percent, solid enough to keep him competitive in the catcher role, and he served in that position for 135 games last season. Where he excelled was his pitch framing, which at 15.7 http://www.chicagocubsteamshop.com/authentic-david-ross-jersey , ranked highest in all of baseball. He’s the only player on this list in the top 30. He also has experience covering first base, which could prove useful with Miguel Cabrera taking reps at DH. His youth and fewer years of experience might not make him the most ideal candidate as a mentor, but his postseason experience would certainly be a nice bonus.Robinson ChirinosChirinos has spent the bulk of his career with the Texas Rangers, and had the busiest season of his career in 2018, playing in 113 games, the most ever in seven seasons. He hit .222/.338/.419 and knocked in a career-high 18 home runs and 65 RBI. Pretty good production. His caught stealing is... yeesh, 10 percent. This from a player who once managed a 40 percent CS percentage in 2014. The downward trend on his defense coupled with the only so-so offense means he wouldn’t be a huge step up from McCann. The Tigers might want to look elsewhere.Others: Martin Maldonado, Nick Hundley, A.J. Ellis, Jonathan Lucroy, Brian McCannNow seems like the ideal time for the Tigers to part ways with James McCann, who only offers minimal benefit offensively, and hasn’t proven to be the best catching partner for the Tigers pitchers. Adding a veteran catcher to help offer guidance to guys like John Hicks, Grayson Greiner, and even Jake Rogers would be a smart move for the team, and there’s no shortage of guys available on the free agent market to meet those needs.