Reliever Jonny Venters said he felt no discomfort in his elbow Tuesday as he began his throwing program with some light catch four weeks after being shut down to rest his ailing elbow.
Venters did three sets from 60 feet, about 75 throws in all, in his first action since receiving a platelet-rich plasma injection on April 2. He’s hoping the combination of treatment and rest will help him avoid a second elbow reconstruction surgery, but he won’t know until he’s throwing off a mound and ramps up the velocity.
Venters, who had “Tommy John” surgery in 2005 as a minor leaguer, felt good about the first step Tuesday.
“Today was encouraging to me because the first time when I needed surgery, I couldn’t throw 45 feet without having discomfort,” Venters said. “Today I didn’t have any kind of feeling in there at all. That’s definitely encouraging to me just for my own peace of mind.”
Venters wasn’t sure when he’ll be able to start throwing off the mound but is hopeful his elbow will continue to respond well and he’ll return no later than the end of May.
