Braves.mlb.com

LAKELAND, Fla. -- After completing another successful bullpen session at Disney's Wide World of Sports complex on Saturday morning, Mike Hampton gave the Braves even more reason to believe he'll rejoin the Atlanta rotation during the first week of May.
After evaluating how Hampton rebounds on Sunday, Braves manager Bobby Cox will begin to set a timetable for his return.

"We're trying to get one that gets him here around May 7," said Cox, who has been amazed by the surprising improvement Hampton has realized over the last week with his strained left oblique muscle.

When Hampton strained the oblique while taking batting practice on March 7, Cox said the left-hander would miss at least two months. While the projected return date would indicate he was precise with the initial assessment, the veteran skipper certainly thought there was a chance that Hampton wouldn't return until June.

As with the bullpen session he completed on Wednesday, Hampton felt no discomfort in either his oblique or surgically repaired left elbow, which was giving him some problems during the first few weeks of camp.

Hampton, who hasn't pitched since his elbow was repaired via Tommy John elbow reconstruction surgery 18 months ago, could prove to be a vital addition when he returns. During the 22 starts he made before he began experiencing problems with his elbow, the 34-year-old southpaw was 15-2 with a 2.62 ERA.

When Hampton suffered the oblique strain, the Braves initially thought they might be in trouble. But now that it looks like he might miss just five potential starts, they find themselves in the envious position of having depth in the starting pitching department.

"We were thin there for a while," Cox said.