Pitcher Medlen making progress in his attempt to return to majors

ANAHEIM, CALIF. — The numbers don’t jump off the page, but make no mistake, the early stages of Kris Medlen’s Braves comeback tour have been successful and encouraging.

In his third minor league rehab start and first for Double-A Mississippi on Tuesday, Medlen warmed up, waited through a 1½-hour rain delay in Jackson, Tenn., before the first pitch, then worked 4⅓ innings and gave up six hits and three runs, only one of which was earned.

He had four strikeouts and two walks, threw 52 strikes in 80 pitches and — most important — felt fine physically, as he had after his two starts in high Single-A.

“I’m encouraged with how my body felt after a rain delay, and was able to go out there and feel good,” said Medlen, 31, whose comeback has drawn much interest from fans who remember the boyish-faced California native as one of the most popular Braves players of the past decade. “Another step in the right direction in this process.”

Medlen, now a father of two, signed a minor league contract with the Braves in January, reporting to their spring-training camp in mid-March and spending two months working to strengthen his arm and work on a different pitching delivery designed to reduce the stress on his arm.

The right-hander has a 3.45 ERA in three starts over 11 days, including two with the high-A Florida Fire Frogs. In his first start May 20, he pitched six scoreless innings and allowed one hit and three walks with three strikeouts.

Medlen was charged with nine hits and five runs in 5⅓ innings – all but one of the runs came in the sixth inning – in his second start for Florida, then moved up to Double-A. After joining the team in Pearl, Miss., last week, he took a bus ride with his much-younger teammates for a series in Jackson, Tenn., where he pitched Tuesday.

On Memorial Day, Medlen posted a video on his Instagram account of top Braves pitching prospect Mike Soroka, who is Canadian, playing a rousing rendition of the United States national anthem during the bus ride, with Mississippi teammates crowded around him and one standing at attention, hand over heart.

“It just feels good to be part of a team again,” Medlen said, “no matter where it is.”

There is still work ahead and no guarantees, but Medlen is optimistic about returning to the majors and thankful the Braves have given him the opportunity.

“I’m guessing if it does happen, I’ll feel a lot like when I got called up for the first time,” Medlen said.