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Glavine experiences rehab setback

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By Mark Bowman / MLB.com

04/12/09 7:31 PM ET

ATLANTA -- Possibly just one or two innings away from deeming himself ready to join Atlanta's rotation, Tom Glavine encountered some left shoulder discomfort that could prevent him from making his scheduled regular-season debut on Saturday.

Glavine felt the discomfort while taking a swing during the second inning of Sunday's Minor League rehab start for Double-A Mississippi. The 43-year-old left-hander will be further evaluated by Braves medical personnel on Monday.

"I don't know how bad it is, or if it's serious at all," said Braves manager Bobby Cox after being provided minimal details following his team's 8-5 win over the Nationals on Sunday.

Allowing one run and three hits against Carolina on Sunday, Glavine didn't feel any discomfort until the second-inning at-bat.

With Glavine's incentive-laden contract calling for him to receive a $1 million bonus once he's placed on the active roster, the Braves obviously have reason to keep him on the disabled list until they're 100 percent confident that he's physically capable of handling the fifth spot in their rotation.

Thus it seems highly likely that Glavine won't make his scheduled regular-season debut against the Pirates on Saturday. Instead, the Braves may turn to one of their Minor Leaguer hurlers. A likely candidate is Jo-Jo Reyes, who is currently scheduled to start for Triple-A Gwinnett on Tuesday.

Unlike top prospect Tommy Hanson, Reyes is already on the 40-man roster. The Braves will likely allow Hanson to remain on a regular schedule with Gwinnett through at least the end of this month.

The makeup of Atlanta's is schedule such that the only two days the Braves needed a fifth starter this month are Saturday and April 28.

The 43-year-old Glavine is attempting to return from an August surgical procedure that repaired a torn flexor tendon in his left elbow and also removed debris from his left shoulder, which has provided him discomfort throughout most of his career.

After experiencing some shoulder discomfort in early March, Glavine had been encouraged by the way that he felt during each of his previous three outings.

Mark Bowman is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.