Pitcher Throws Bullpen Session After Elbow Procedure

The pitcher threw a bullpen session on Thursday, marking the third session in his rehabilitation schedule after a May 6 elbow procedure. The session prompted speculation that he could return to play sooner than the typical two-to-three-month recovery period.

The pitcher addressed the speculation directly. "If you’re not in those conversation, I wouldn’t trust anything you see," he said. "Now, I get it. I want to be back as fast as I can, too. What’s going on right now is kind of unprecedented. " He added that he wants to return quickly but also wants to remain healthy.

"It does me no good to come back fast, and then something happens, and I go back on the shelf again," he said. "But it is kind of day by day. It is how I feel and how I bounce back. " The procedure involved removal of a loose body from the left elbow using a microscopic needle technique intended to reduce scarring and inflammation.

A team manager said Thursday that the pitcher still faces hurdles in the recovery process. "There are little hurdles to clear along the way when you come back from a procedure," the manager said. " The pitcher has appeared in seven games this season with a 3-2 record and a 2.70 ERA.

No official timetable for his return has been announced.