Jonny Venters (elbow) has started throwing breaking balls in his bullpen sessions as he returns from Tommy John surgery.

He's still at least a month away from a return to the Braves, but Venters is throwing regular bullpen sessions every three days. The Tommy John surgery on May 16 of last year was Venters' second of his career.

Braves placed LHP Jonny Venters on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to March 21.

Venters won't be ready to rejoin the Braves bullpen for a couple of months still, as he continues to work his way back from Tommy John surgery.

Jonny Venters (elbow) threw off the mound Wednesday for the first time since Tommy John surgery.

"It felt like [the ball] was coming out decent," said Venters. "Obviously, the first time on the mound, the timing seems a little bit different. But overall, I was pleased with everything -- the way my arm responded and the way the ball was coming out." Venters, who had the second Tommy John surgery of his career last May, is likely around two months away from joining the Braves' bullpen.

Jonny Venters (elbow) will do some light throwing off a mound on Wednesday.

It will be his first time off the bump since last last May's Tommy John surgery. Venters, who underwent the operation for the second time, is aiming to rejoin the Braves' bullpen in late May or early June. He didn't make an appearance last year before going under the knife.

Jonny Venters (elbow) will throw flat-ground pitches Sunday as part of his recovery from a second Tommy John surgery.

The pitches are the next step for Venters, who had his second major elbow surgery last May. If all goes well, the left-hander will then throw his first bullpen session March 5. The 28-year-old hasn't pitched since May 16 but recently began playing long toss. Assuming no setbacks, Venters should be back in the Braves bullpen by late May.

Jonny Venters (elbow) has been long-tossing without pain.

Venters, who had Tommy John surgery last May, hopes to get back on the mound soon. If all goes well, he could be ready to join the Braves by late May or early June.

Braves and LHP Jonny Venters avoided arbitration by agreeing to a one-year contract.

No word yet on the value of the deal. Venters made $1.625 million in 2013 -- his first year of salary arbitration. He underwent Tommy John elbow surgery last May and is aiming to be fully recovered by June 2014.

Jonny Venters (elbow) was cleared to begin playing catch from 30 feet on Tuesday.

It's the first time he's thrown since undergoing Tommy John surgery in May. Venters is hoping to be ready to rejoin the Braves' bullpen next June.

Braves transferred LHP Jonny Venters from the 15-day disabled list to the 60-day disabled list.

Venters underwent Tommy John reconstructive elbow surgery in mid-May and won't be ready to appear in games again until the early part of the 2014 regular season. This was a procedural move to clear a roster spot for the arrival of young outfielder Joey Terdoslavich.

Jonny Venters underwent Tommy John reconstructive elbow surgery on Thursday afternoon.

It's the second time he's had the procedure in his baseball career. Venters can now be ruled out for the remainder of the 2013 season and is also likely to miss the first couple months of the 2014 campaign. It's obviously a pretty big loss for the Atlanta bullpen.

Jonny Venters (elbow) will visit Dr. James Andrews on Thursday.

Venters was able to throw a 15-pitch bullpen session on Friday, but he's still feeling some soreness in his left elbow. It's possible the southpaw will require a second Tommy John surgery. Even in a best-case scenario, he's not going to return to the Braves' bullpen for a while.

Jonny Venters (elbow) threw a 15-pitch bullpen session on Friday and claimed that the ball came out of his hand great.

Venters acknowledged that he's still experiencing soreness in his left elbow, and will wait to see how he feels tomorrow before deciding the next course of action. It's certainly more encouraging news than having to stop his bullpen session on Thursday due to the elbow discomfort, but he's still a long way from returning to the bullpen.

Jonny Venters has to stop his bullpen session halfway through due to soreness in his left elbow.

Not good. Venters was scheduled to throw 15-20 pitches, but he made it only halfway through before shutting things down. The Braves were hoping that a platelet-rich plasma injection would do the trick, but the southpaw might be facing season-ending surgery.

Jonny Venters (elbow) is scheduled to throw off a mound Thursday for the first time since he was shut down in early April.

Jonny Venters (elbow) could be cleared to throw off a mound next week.

Venters has already resumed a throwing program and is getting closer to returning from the disabled list. He received a PRP injection last month in an attempt to avoid surgery and is hoping for a late-May return.

Jonny Venters (elbow) played catch at a distance of 60 feet Tuesday and reported feeling fine.

It was his first game of catch since landing on the disabled list March 27 with a left elbow sprain. Venters received a platelet-rich plasma injection in early April and is hoping to avoid a surgical procedure.

Jonny Venters (elbow) will resume light throwing next Tuesday.

Venters will have been shut down for four weeks after receiving a platelet-rich plasma injection in his injured left elbow. The lefty hopes to be back in mid-May, but the Braves have yet to provide a timetable. There's no guarantee that he'll be able to avoid surgery. "Tuesday's the day," Venters said. "It'll be real easy stuff at first. I think the first day is two sets at 45 feet. Hopefully it moves along quickly. I'm not sure exactly what the program is, but hopefully by that second week I'll be stretching it out and throwing hard."

Jonny Venters (elbow) has been shut down for the next four weeks.

Venters visited Dr. James Andrews this week and received a platelet-rich plasma injection in his elbow on Tuesday morning. If all goes well, he'll begin a throwing program in the first week of May. While the good news is that surgery wasn't required, there's a real chance that he will miss the first two months of the regular season.

David O'Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports that Jonny Venters (elbow) did indeed see Dr. James Andrews on Monday.

Mark Bowman of MLB.com reported that the appointment was moved back to Tuesday, but it actually took place as schedule on Monday. While the southpaw will see Andrews again on Tuesday, it's not expected to be for surgery. The Braves should provide an update on his status soon.

Jonny Venters (elbow) is scheduled to see Dr. James Andrews on Tuesday.

Venters was originally scheduled to see Andrews on Monday, but the visit was pushed back a day. CBS Sports' Jon Heyman reported Monday that the best-case scenario is that he'll be sidelined for a month, so we could be talking about a lengthy absence. We could know more about his status before the end of the day on Tuesday.