NORTH PORT, Fla. -- Never really concerned about the right elbow inflammation that briefly developed last week, Freddie Freeman was amused to hear some Braves fans thought it might be in his best interest to continue resting through most of Spring Training.

“If hitting a baseball was easy, I’d do it,” a smiling Freeman said after returning to the Braves’ lineup for Monday night’s 6-4 loss to the Phillies at CoolToday Park.

• Box score

Limited to two plate appearances as he played in a game for the first time since Feb. 24, Freeman didn’t get many opportunities to hit. He fouled a pitch before walking in the first inning and grounded out to end the second. But those two swings -- combined with the opportunity to track live pitches -- allowed him to begin necessary preparations.

“I’ve got a regular-season game in about three weeks,” Freeman said. “It’s time to get going. This is the week I need to get going.”

Freeman will complete a normal workout on Tuesday and then draw two more plate appearances Wednesday against the Pirates in Bradenton. After the Braves enjoy an off-day on Thursday, the first baseman plans to draw three plate appearances in home games scheduled for Friday (Red Sox) and Saturday (Rays).

“We’ve got to be careful about not playing him just for the sake of not playing him, because if he feels good, then he needs to take part,” manager Brian Snitker said. “I don’t think [the inflammation] was anything more than he just overdid it with some of the [pregame] drills. He was feeling so good that he threw and hit too much.”

Freeman will reduce his pregame activities moving forward, but there are no lingering concerns about the elbow, from which three fragments and two bone spurs were removed in October. The Braves decided to rest him for a week when swelling formed after he admitted to doing too much before playing in the Feb. 24 game against the Tigers.

“I knew I was feeling good a couple days ago,” Freeman said. “The cautious approach during Spring Training was probably the smart move. I felt good on Saturday. I did an abbreviated workout. Right then and there I knew I was going to be good to go.”

Hamels update
Cole Hamels has continued to go through his normal rehab process. But Snitker said it’s far too early to know when the 36-year-old left-hander will be cleared to begin simply playing catch again.

Hamels has not thrown a baseball since he began battling left shoulder inflammation in late January. Given the amount of time he’ll need to make up, the veteran pitcher will likely miss all of March and possibly part of April.

• This longtime ace is leading Braves' rotation race

When the Braves signed Hamels to a one-year, $18 million deal in December, they said they were not concerned about the left shoulder fatigue that led the Cubs to shut him down for a portion of September.

Bullpen health
Right-handed reliever Jacob Webb will make his spring debut on Tuesday and left-handed reliever A.J. Minter is aiming to debut on Saturday. Webb underwent right elbow surgery in September, and Minter has been brought along slowly following a season during which he battled elbow and shoulder discomfort.

The Braves are also being cautious with Chris Martin, who signed a two-year, $14 million deal in November. If Martin recovers from Monday’s batting-practice session in fine fashion, he could debut this week.

Old friend
Former Braves prospect Christian Bethancourt enjoyed a two-homer game for the Phillies on Monday. The 28-year-old catcher hit an opposite-field shot off Will Smith in the seventh and then highlighted a four-run ninth with a long solo shot off Shane Greene.

Greene retired two of the first four batters faced and then surrendered three consecutive singles. The veteran reliever has allowed six runs -- five earned -- and six hits in 2 2/3 innings (three appearances).

Up next
Félix Hernández will make his third spring start when the Braves host the Rays on Tuesday at 1:05 p.m. ET (listen live on Gameday Audio). Hernández has made a strong rotation bid while allowing just one run over 4 2/3 innings in his first two spring starts.