GOODYEAR, Ariz. - Reds right-hander Homer Bailey threw a bullpen session Thursday as part of his rehabilitation from forearm surgery last September, keeping him on track to be ready to pitch in the major leagues before April is finished.
Rain fell steadily throughout the morning but Bailey got his work in under cover. He was forced to skip a live batting practice this week due to a stomach virus but he is slated to pitch in a minor league game on Sunday, said manager Bryan Price.
"We're all comfortable with that," said Price. "There's no reason not to have him go out there and pitch at this point. He's passed all the tests."
Bailey had surgery to repair a torn flexor tendon in his right forearm last September. He made just 23 starts last season, his fewest since 2011. His last start came on Aug. 7 in a 4-0 win against Cleveland when he allowed just four hits and struck out eight batters in seven innings. He was 9-5 with a 3.71 ERA and finished the season with 145 2/3 innings pitched. He was on pace to top 200 innings for a third straight season before the injury.
Bailey made 33 starts in 2012 and 32 in 2013 as he increased his success each season, lowering his ERA to under 4.00 for the first time in his career (3.68 in 2012, 3.49 in 2013). That continued improvement is part of the reason why the Reds signed him to six-year extension before last season.
Price said Bailey will be scheduled to throw 30 pitches in his minor league start over two innings. His workload would be bumped up to 45-50 pitches in his next outing. If Bailey starts the season on the disabled list he could make a couple of starts in the minor leagues before rejoining the Reds.
