ARLINGTON, Texas – Texas right-hander Colby Lewis, who had surgery to repair a torn flexor tendon last July, has had no pain since beginning a throwing program.
But Lewis knows the real test for his arm will come when he gets on a mound and throws for the first time.
"It's not about trying to hurry up the process and take two steps forward and three back," Lewis said. "It's about taking small steps forward and going from there. I didn't have a lot of pain when I threw before it was torn. In the middle of spring training we'll assess the situation a little more."
As for now, Lewis is up to playing catch from 60 feet three times a week. He did it Wednesday and had no issues. Determining a timeline for Lewis' return is difficult. When he originally had the surgery, the timeline was around the All-Star break. But it's not out of the possibility that Lewis could be back in the rotation as early as late May.
Lewis, who was 6-6 with a 3.43 ERA before getting hurt last year, said there's no real way to know right now.
"I feel like when I get off the mound that's when I'll know if it's good or bad," said Lewis, who signed a one-year deal with Texas that guarantees him $2 million with a chance at $4 in incentives. "There's always a chance you're ahead of schedule. I don't want to push the issue."
