Gohara, Camargo continue rehab, Braves say they won’t rush either

Luis Gohara only had about a week of workouts at spring training between a groin strain and the ankle sprain that he’s recovering from now. (Curtis Compton/ccompton@ajc.com)

Credit: ccompton@ajc.com

Credit: ccompton@ajc.com

Luis Gohara only had about a week of workouts at spring training between a groin strain and the ankle sprain that he’s recovering from now. (Curtis Compton/ccompton@ajc.com)

WASHINGTON – As Braves pitcher Luiz Gohara and infielder Johan Camargo continued injury rehab, manager Brian Snitker said the team’s fast start and production from others allows the Braves not to rush either of them back from the disabled list before they’re ready.

Another Brave on the DL, catcher Tyler Flowers, is recovering from a strained oblique in his first at-bat of the season but hasn’t begun baseball activities yet, Snitker said

Gohara sprained his left ankle in a March 9 fielding drill two days before what would’ve been his first Grapefruit League start. He stayed in Florida at Braves spring training and minor league headquarters for his rehabilitation and will pitch three innings in an extended spring-training game Thursday, Snitker said. He could pitch soon in a game for high Single-A Florida just down the road in Kissimmee, Fla.

The 21-year-old stocky left-hander, one of the Braves’ highest-rated prospects, was penciled into the rotation entering spring training. But a groin strain followed by the ankle sprain sidelined him for almost the entire camp. The Braves signed well-traveled veteran Anibal Sanchez late in the spring and were pleased with his first start Saturday.

Gohara is at the point of his workout program that pitchers would typically be about three weeks into spring training, when they’re making their second starts and throwing more pitches and innings each time out. The Braves are targeting late April or early May before he’ll “stretched out” with arm strength built up and ready to join the big-league rotation after some minor-league rehab stints at higher levels.

Gohara pitched in simulated-game conditions last week and will be making his first appearance in an actual game of any kind on Thursday.

“He’s just in the building-up stage really,” Snitker said. “His ankle’s good, everything’s fine, it’s just about getting him built up now, going through the process…. Just get him stretched out, then we’ll see where we’re at.

“Like a lot of guys, until you need him you don’t really want to force him up here until he’s ready. We want him to get stretched out like he would in a normal spring training. Right now he’s going through spring training. I think he’ll be stretched out pretty good by the end of the month.”

Camargo, projected was the opening-day third baseman before straining his left oblique March 13, played in two minor-league rehab games for high-A Florida and went 1-for-8 with a walk and three strikeouts while playing one game at third base and one at shortstop. Snitker said reports were he looked a bit rusty, understandable given the length of his layoff after the oblique strain.

He was to serve as designated hitter in a third game Saturday but it got rained out and Camargo had his rehab bumped up to Triple-A Gwinnett beginning Monday night in Durham, N.C.

“Hopefully we’re not forced to get him up (soon) because he’s missed a lot,” said Snitker, whose Braves -- they were 6-3 before Monday night’s game at Washington -- have gotten far more than expected from fill-in third baseman Ryan Flaherty. The veteran utility man hit .414 (12-for-29) with four doubles, five walks and .514 on-base percentage in eight games before Monday, the fourth-highest average and sixth-highest OBP among major league qualifiers.