The Braves pulled Jair Jurrjens after just one inning on Thursday when he felt discomfort along his right rib cage.
Jurrjens said the irritation was nothing more than a cramp caused by dehydration.
He felt he was "losing a lot of fluid. It's really hot and I was sweating a lot and I had long sleeves, which didn't help."
Jurrjens tried to stretch the cramp away while the Braves batted, but manager Fredi Gonzalez, after conferring with his trainer, took him out as a precaution.
"It's too late in the spring to mess with it. He said he felt something and that was it. Get him out of there," he said.
Jurrjens Pulled After Just One Inning