Mike Hampton was pain-free in his first throwing session off a mound in five weeks.

That alone qualifies as major progress for the injury-plagued pitcher, who hopes to rejoin the Braves sometime around the All-Star break.

He has been on the disabled list all season recovering from a pectoral (chest muscle) strain that occurred during his pregame warmup April 3. Hampton, 35, reinjured it April 30 in what was to be his final minor-league rehab start.

It's been nearly 36 months since the left-hander pitched in a major-league game.

"It went well, and I felt good about it," Hampton said of the Tuesday session, which consisted of 25 throws at an estimated 70-75 percent effort. All straight fastballs.