LOS ANGELES — A blue sleeve stretched the length of Ruby De La Rosa's right arm. Beneath it was the scar that was left after the Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher underwent reconstructive surgery on his elbow last August.
It didn't take much prompting for De La Rosa to pull down the sleeve and reveal the scar, about four inches in length, inside his elbow.
"It's beautiful, huh?" he asked, smiling.
Beautiful in the sense that De La Rosa, the promising starting pitcher whose season ended abruptly last August, is already well into the rehabilitation process that he hopes will result in his return in 2012.
July, he said. That's when he hopes to be back on the mound.
The Dodgers are thinking the first week of August. But either way, it will be an impressive return from what is famously known as Tommy John surgery, performed on De La Rosa by renowned orthopedic surgeon James Andrews.
De La Rosa, 22, is among several top Dodgers prospects invited to attend a development program this week at Dodger Stadium. Players will work out with coaches and also attend seminars and community programs intended to acclimate them to the area and the big leagues.
De La Rosa threw 50 pitches at half speed from a distance of 60 feet and appeared to have an easy, trouble-free motion. He said he's in the third stage of a 12-stage rehab designed to get him back on the mound.
"My arm feels fine," he said, alternately speaking through a team translator and trying out his English. "It feels like six months have passed since the operation, but it's only been four."
Five actually, but the Dodgers are pleased with his progress.
"It sounds like everything is moving along as you would think," manager Don Mattingly said. "Obviously, it's going to (take) time, the process of getting through this and healing and getting his strength back up. We're talking about competition in late July or so."
General manager Ned Colletti suggested early August, assuming De La Rosa avoids any snags in his recovery. He will probably pitch out of the bullpen if and when he comes back, but his future with the team remains as a starter.
De La Rosa made three relief appearances after he was called up from the minors in May, then was put in the rotation and made 10 starts before going down. He had a 4-5 record and a 3.71 ERA with 60 strikeouts in 60 2/3 innings.
He topped out on the radar gun at 100 mph and expects to retain his speed when he returns.
Asked how different he expects to be when he resumes pitching, he said, "Double what I was."
"Right now, I'm feeling more power than I was before," he added. "I feel strong. . . Touch my muscles. They're already strong."
De La Rosa said he hopes to begin throwing in the bullpen by the end of March, while the Dodgers are still in spring training. Although that's probably a little ambitious, it shows how anxious he is to get back in the game.
He insisted he's not concerned about pushing himself too fast, and it's worth noting that Dodgers trainers monitored his every move Monday. But he's ready to take the next steps as soon as he can.
The toughest part so far? "The time," he said.
Had he not gotten hurt, De La Rosa would likely be in the mix for the fifth spot in the rotation. He's still in the team's plans, but they'll have to wait a while for him to resume his career.
"Guys come back from this all the time," Colletti said. "This has become one of the more predictable surgeries. But you still have a period of time where your body has to grow back together. So that's what takes the time."
Because he's so young, De La Rosa has plenty of time to fully heal. But he wants to pitch, and allowing himself enough time to recover will clearly test his patience.
Typically, it requires 10-16 months to come back from the surgery, but De La Rosa intends to beat that estimate.
"I'll be ready before that," he said.
