Olivera won't rehab for at least another 10 days

ATLANTA -- Braves fans will need to wait a little longer than initially expected to get their first glimpse of Hector Olivera.

When the Braves acquired Olivera in a blockbuster trade with the Dodgers and Marlins on July 30, they indicated that the 30-year-old Cuban third baseman's strained left hamstring might be healthy enough for him to begin playing rehab games by the end of this weekend.

But as of Thursday afternoon, the Braves were not projecting Olivera to play in a rehab game for at least another 10 days.

The Braves described Olivera as a cornerstone piece when they acquired him, left-handed reliever Paco Rodriguez, pitching prospect Zach Bird and the 34th pick in next year's Draft in exchange for sending top prospect Jose Peraza, Alex Wood, Jim Johnson and Luis Avilan to the Dodgers.

Olivera has spent the past week rehabbing at the Braves' Spring Training facility in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. He had batted .348 with a .885 OPS in 19 Minor League games for the Dodgers before suffering the hamstring injury on July 13.

The Braves coveted Olivera when he gained the government clearance necessary to become a free agent this past winter, but they could not compete with the six-year, $62.5 million contract the Dodgers provided.

Because this contract included a $28 million signing bonus that has already been paid, the Braves will owe Olivera $32.5 million over the next five seasons.