As noted in the news digest, there was plenty of speculation concerning the impending return of Mike Minor to the rotation, with a lot of people (myself included) figuring that the return would occur during the weekend series against the Cincinnati Reds. However, Fredi Gonzalez also left the door open for Minor to potentially make another rehab start in order to further prepare for the rigors of the season ahead.
It looks like Minor and the Braves have chosen to go with making another rehab start, and Minor will make that start on Friday, which will surely take him out of contention to return for the Reds series.
The #Braves are sending Mike Minor to Pensacola...to make one more rehab start on Friday
— Mark Bowman (@mlbbowman) April 22, 2014
Despite reports from 92.9 The Game's Grant McAuley that Minor's side session went well today, he also reports that the reasoning behind Minor's start is so that he can get the 6 starts that everyone in the rotation got during the Spring.
Reason for 1 more rehab start for Mike Minor is to give him full Spring Training allotment of 6 GS. Today's side session went well. #Braves
— Grant McAuley (@grantmcauley) April 22, 2014
So, this probably means that Minor will make his return during the latter parts of next week's trip to Miami or for that weekend's home series against the Giants. Either way, we won't be seeing Minor make his 2014 debut this weekend. However, considering that all five of the Braves' starting pitchers have, against all odds, come absolutely flying out of the gates to start this season, it's understandable why the Braves feel that they can definitely take their time to ease Minor back into the swing of things.