By JON MACHOTA
FOXSportsSouthwest.com Special Contributor
March 1, 2011
Brandon Webb experienced another positive sign when he took the mound Tuesday. The Texas Rangers starting pitcher was able to throw more pitches than his last session and reported he was feeling good.
Webb, who threw 28 pitches Sunday, threw 46 pitches in his second appearance in three days.
The 31-year-old, who the Rangers signed to a one-year deal in December, has missed the past two seasons with a shoulder injury. Following Tuesday's session, it sounded like he is starting to see light at the end of the tunnel.
"Good, I came out real good. I felt strong. I feel like the velocity is there," Webb told The Associated Press. "Better than last time, which is good. . . . Came out of it fine, still felt strong at the end."
And manager Ron Washington saw progress as well.
"He's trying to get it together," Washington said. "From the first time I've seen him until today, it's progress. That's what we're looking for, just progress. He kept the ball down better, he was more consistent with his release point."
According to the AP, the next step is more of the same for Webb. He is to throw long tosses off flat ground Wednesday, then get back on the mound Thursday. He will do that a couple of more times before throwing live batting practice and then getting into a spring training game.
Sunday's effort was the first time the 2006 NL Cy Young Award winner was on a mound in 10 days.
"Still a little inconsistent mechanically," Webb said. "On a mound, that's where I want to put my work into it, most of, and that's where I'm going to get my feel and all that."
Webb threw more than 200 innings in five consecutive seasons before getting hurt. He had surgery in August 2009, then missed all of last season after trying to come back too quickly last spring with the Diamondbacks.
Tuesday he said he has no current issues with the shoulder.
"(Last spring), I wasn't able to get anything out of my throwing because it didn't feel good," he said. "I'm able to get stuff out of my long toss, because I can stay out there and do it, get stuff done, bring stuff away from the mound because I'm able to go out and repeat stuff, and throw normally."
Even with a positive day turned in Tuesday, Washington didn't pretend like Webb would be penciled in to his starting rotation when the season begins in April.
"He had good action down in the strike zone," Washington told The Dallas Morning News. "But he's still building up arm strength. It was good, but he's still not ready."
