ATLANTA -- Luiz Gohara returned to Atlanta early Sunday morning, happy he had spent time with his ailing mother and cognizant of the fact his delayed return from Brazil influenced what the Braves had to work with during Saturday's 14-inning loss to the Nationals.
"If I had been here, there probably would have been more of a chance we could have kept the game going because I know they really trust me," Gohara said. "I'm really glad to hear the guys trust me. At any point of the game, they can toss me in there and I can just go do what I've been doing."
Gohara was reinstated from the restricted list Sunday morning and said he would be ready if needed to come out of the bullpen during the series finale against the Nationals.
The Braves created a roster spot by outrighting Miguel Socolovich, the right-handed reliever who wouldn't have even been an option to pitch Saturday's 14th inning had Gohara returned when expected. Socolovich allowed a pair of runs in the one inning he worked after being deemed the last bullpen option because manager Brian Snitker stayed committed to giving Dan Winkler and Arodys Vizcaino a day off.
Gohara initially informed the Braves he was flying from Brazil to Atlanta on Friday. But as the team made plans for him to be available for Saturday's game, the 21-year-old southpaw informed club officials that the country's gas shortage prevented him from getting to the airport in time to catch his flight.
"All of the gas stations are out of gas," Gohara said. "I had to go to the airport and we didn't have gas. So, that made it hard for me to [get] to the airport."
Gohara says he played catch and completed at least one bullpen session at a baseball academy in Brazil. The Braves are expected to use him as a reliever and may keep him as a multi-inning bullpen option if there is not a logical place for him to fit in a starting rotation that could welcome Mike Soroka back within the next two weeks.
After making his May 23 start in Philadelphia, Gohara traveled to Brazil to be with his mother, who had recently undergone heart surgery. She was transferred from a hospital to the family's home early last week and is now recovering with the assistance of a doctor, who is with her on a daily basis.
"It's good to hear her talking to me and smiling and walking and eating very well," Gohara said. "She is going to recover really fast. I feel a big relief having seen that she's doing better. Now, I've got one thing on my mind and that is to go out and pitch because I know she is doing good down there."
When Gohara's bereavement leave expired Thursday, he was transferred to the restricted list, which essentially means he was on unpaid leave on Friday and Saturday.