Braves GM Frank Wren confirmed Saturday that Brian McCann (shoulder) will not play in a minor league game before April 16. McCann has been taking batting practice without any issues, but throwing remains his biggest challenge. The Braves are currently limiting him to long-tossing from a distance of 120 feet and he still isn't ready to make throws to second base. McCann will open the season on the disabled list, and it sounds like late-April is a best case scenario for his return.

Brian McCann (shoulder) took batting practice on the field again Saturday. Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez said that McCann looked "perfect." While the Braves plan to hold him out of game action until roughly April 16, McCann should be ready to return from the disabled list when first eligible.

Brian McCann (shoulder) felt good after taking batting practice on the field Friday. While it was his third time batting practice since shoulder surgery, it was his first as part of a morning session with teammates. He also did two sets of 20 throws at 120 feet. "Today was a great day," said McCann. "Throwing was better than it has been, and hitting - today is the best I've felt hitting. I'm taking the necessary steps forward." McCann expects to hit and throw again on Saturday, which will be the first time he has done so on consecutive days. The Braves plan to hold him out of game action until roughly April 16, but he could need a minor league rehab assignment before being activated from the disabled list.

Brian McCann (shoulder) will hit and throw Saturday for the second day in a row, the first time he's done so this spring. McCann is taking batting practice and throwing at 120 feet, making two sets of 20 throws. The catcher noted that Friday was the best he's felt taking batting practice since beginning it a week ago. McCann remains on track for a return in mid-April.

Brian McCann took batting practice Thursday for the first time since undergoing surgery to repair a torn labrum in his right shoulder. "It was nice to get back in there and see something coming at you," McCann said. "I'm on pace. Everything they have asked me to do, I've done." The catcher also threw from a distance of 120 feet on Thursday without any issues. He'll take batting practice and throw on an every-other-day basis for at least another week. The Braves remain confident that McCann will only miss the first couple weeks of the season, but a timetable will become clearer over the next few weeks.

Brian McCann said Saturday that he was encouraged with the update that he received on his surgically-repaired right shoulder. While he's still likely two months away from playing in a major league game, it's at least a step in the right direction for the injury-riddled backstop. He's recently increased his throwing program to a distance of 90 feet, and is slowly regaining his arm strength. As of now, he's slated to miss at least the first two weeks of the regular season.

Brian McCann said Thursday that while his surgically-repaired shoulder "feels really good," doctors won't him for full-on playing in games until April 15. "I'm not close," said McCann. "Just started hitting off a tee. I started throwing last week, from 45 feet. Sixty feet this week. I've thrown a total of six times. Next week hopefully at 90 feet, and just go from there. I've got to build my arm strength back up." Until doctors clear him for actual games, McCann figures to get at-bats in minor league spring training games in a controlled atmosphere. He's hoping to rejoin the Braves without much of a rehab assignment, so there's a chance he could be back before the end of April. Track his progress carefully this spring.

Brian McCann (shoulder) hopes to be ready by Opening Day. The Braves have projected McCann missing the first couple weeks of the season following surgery to repair a torn labrum in his right shoulder, but the backstop thinks he can beat that timetable. "If all goes well, it's going to be hard for me to sit there and watch the team on Opening Day, if I'm feeling good," McCann said. McCann added that he feels like he's "ahead of schedule" and "can tell a huge difference with my range of motion and flexibility. This is as free as my shoulder has been for a few years." We'd be cautious in moving up his timetable this early, but it's certainly good news that his recovery is coming along well.

Braves general manager Frank Wren said Sunday that he and Brian McCann's agent have agreed to delay contract extension talks until after the season. "We've spoken and both sides have decided to wait until the end of the year," Wren said on SiriusXM's Inside Pitch show. McCann will be a free agent after the 2013 season, but the Braves, understandably, likely want to see how he looks following shoulder surgery before committing big money to him. The 28-year-old Braves backstop is expected to miss the first few weeks of the season while recovery from a procedure to repair a torn labrum in his right shoulder.

Brian McCann (shoulder) is on track to begin light throwing within the next couple of weeks. McCann underwent surgery in early October to repair a torn laburm in his right shoulder. He's expected to miss the first couple weeks of the 2013 campaign but should ultimately make a full recovery. The 28-year-old backstop remains a highly valuable fantasy commodity.