Arodys Vizcaino could return for Braves on Sunday

Arodys Vizcaino played catch on Tuesday and his shoulder has improved to the point where he could return from the disabled list as soon as Sunday when he is first eligible to be activated. Brian Snitker told MLB.com’s Mark Bowman on Tuesday that barring a setback, he didn’t see any reason why Vizcaino wouldn’t be ready return.

“I don’t see any reason why he shouldn’t be ready when his time is up,” Snitker said. “He’s going to need to have [a mound session] to let it eat a little bit. But I think he is feeling a lot better.”

The plan is for Vizcaino to travel with the team for St. Louis and throw off of a mound on Friday. If all goes well, he will be activated prior to Sunday’s game.

Vizcaino last pitched on June 17 which ended a string of four appearances over five days. He woke up with soreness in his shoulder the next day and was unavailable during the first two games of Atlanta’s series against Baltimore. An MRI revealed no structural damage and he received a cortisone shot to help deal with the inflammation.

While it looks like he will be ready to return on Sunday, the Braves may have to manage his workload a little more carefully over the remainder of the season.

Vizcaino has appeared in 30 games this season and has a 1.82 ERA in 29 2/3 innings to go along with 15 saves.