Atlanta Braves pitcher Jair Jurrjens has been solid in two starts since being demoted to Triple-A Gwinnett, but he’s still not ready to return to the major leagues, reports Mark Bowman of MLB.com.

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“It wasn’t like he was going down on a rehab assignment or something,” Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez said. “Without making it sound cruel, he’s a minor league player right now. He’s doing his part. Hopefully, that continues.”

Jurrjens posted a 9.37 ERA in his first four regular-season starts; Braves sent him down to Gwinnett on April 24. He’s been better in two starts down in the minors, posting an ERA of 1.80 and an opponents’ batting average of .176, but it’s not enough to earn him a return trip to Atlanta.

The Braves are looking for Jurrjens to work on the command of his fastball, which has lacked velocity since the young hurler came down with a knee injury toward the end of the 2010 season.

Jair Jurrjens appears likely to be the Atlanta Braves’ Opening Day starter on April 5 against the New York Mets, according to David O’Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

While Braves manager Fredi González hasn’t officially named a starter, he has set a rotation for the team’s Grapefruit League exhibition schedule. Jurrjens is set to start Monday against the Houston Astros in the team’s third game; if he pitches every five days, he would make six exhibition starts and be in line for Opening Day.

It’s long been speculated that either Jurrjens or Tommy Hanson would step in for ace Tim Hudson, who’s recovering from back surgery and will likely miss all of April.

Jurrjens finished third in NL Rookie of the Year voting in 2008 and was an All-Star in 2011. He went 13-6 for the Braves last season, putting up a 2.96 ERA in 152 innings.

The Kansas City Royals and Atlanta Braves have been in discussions about Braves’ starting pitcher Jair Jurrjens, but those talks stalled Friday, according to the Kansas City Star. Though Atlanta is willing to deal both Jurrjens and infielder Martin Prado, Kansas City is not willing to agree on which prospects will be sent off in exchange.

The Braves sought minor league outfielders Lorenzo Cain and Wil Myers for Prado and Jurrjens. Kansas City is not concerned with sending Cain, but Myers, 20, is a different story, the paper reported. He was recently chosen as the organization’s best prospect.

Jurrjens was 13-6 a year ago for Atlanta, with a 2.96 ERA. Prado struggled at the plate, reaching base at only a .302 clip. The acquisition of both players would boost the Royals’ payroll by approximately $10 million.