O’Flaherty bullpen pushed back until Saturday

Eric O’Flaherty’s elbow was still a little sore on the off day Thursday so the Braves decided to push his throwing program back a day. Instead of throwing a bullpen on Friday in hopes of returning to action Saturday, he played catch on Friday and if all goes well, he’ll throw a bullpen on Saturday. That would likely put him back in action either Sunday or Monday.

Overall though, O’Flaherty’s elbow is improving.

“It felt good today,” O’Flaherty said Friday. “I’m definitely, making progress, so that’s a good sign.”

O’Flaherty said he knew it was wise to listen to head trainer Jeff Porter, who suggested he shut it down for one more day.

“As a player you can’t wait to get back out there,” O’Flaherty said. “Every bit of you wants to just push it and sometimes it’s not the best idea. The guys in the training room they’ve seen it happen quite a few times, so they know what’s best for you even if you don’t.”