PHOENIX — Jason Schmidt said he didn't know how his shoulder would respond to the scoreless inning he pitched Monday in the Dodgers' intrasquad game.
But he said the way he felt after facing four batters at Camelback Ranch was markedly different from the way he felt after he tried to pitch last year, which he spent entirely on the disabled list and ended with his second surgery in as many seasons.
"Coming in tomorrow, being able to play catch, that's the bigger hurdle than anything," Schmidt said. "Last year I kind of knew when the game was over how I was going to feel. I feel really good about it right now."
Schmidt made 11 pitches, nine of them strikes. Juan Pierre grounded out, Mark Loretta flied out, Casey Blake hit an infield single and Matt Kemp grounded out to short.
"It looked like he had an easy time throwing the ball," Manager Joe Torre said. "He's been in a great frame of mind. Even last year when he was going to rehab in places, in between there would always be that one day when he wasn't sure."
How was Schmidt's stuff?
"He got me out, so his stuff was real good," said Pierre, laughing.
Schmidt, who is in the final year of a three-year, $47-million contract with the Dodgers, made six starts in 2007 and none last year. The outing on Monday marked Schmidt's first game action since he made a minor league rehabilitation start in August.
Schmidt's pitches weren't clocked by radar, but the former All-Star said he has resigned himself to not being able to throw as hard as he used to.
"I'm not going to be the 96, 98 [mph] guy I was before," he said. "I just have to get it around the plate and get them to hit it on the ground."
He said that shouldn't be a problem.
"I tried to pitch like I was a finesse guy anyway," he said.
He mentioned that when he battled back from his first shoulder surgery, in 2000, he learned to pitch with his fastball in the mid-80s.
"I had some of my better games throwing with less velocity, so I know I can do it," he said.
Schmidt's next game will be a "B" game on Friday against the Chicago White Sox, pitching coach Rick Honeycutt said.
Manny watch
Rumors spread on Monday that Manny Ramirez and the Dodgers were closing in on a two- or three-year deal and KLAC-AM (570) went so far as to report that a deal "should" be completed by the end of the week.
