WASHINGTON -- Braves manager Brian Snitker provided an update on Luiz Gohara's recovery from a left ankle sprain Monday, telling reporters Gohara will throw a three-inning side session Tuesday.
Gohara, a rookie who was expected to be Atlanta's No. 5 starter, suffered the injury right before what would have been his first Grapefruit League start. Snitker said Gohara's sprain has healed, and the team is now putting him through his own mock Spring Training.
"He's in the building-up stage, really. His ankle's good, everything's fine. It's just about getting him built up and going through the process," Snitker said, adding that he expects Gohara to return to the 25-man roster around late April/early May.
With Gohara sidelined, the Braves signed right-hander Anibal Sanchez late in Spring Training. In his first start of the season this past Saturday, Sanchez surrendered two runs on seven hits and two walks in five innings of work against the Rockies. He didn't factor into the decision of Atlanta's 3-2 loss.
Gohara, the No. 4 left-handed pitching prospect in baseball according to MLB Pipeline, can reach triple-digits on his fastball, which he pairs with a slider that often elicits swings and misses.