Colorado Rockies Manager Jim Tracy said he was "extremely encouraged" by how Ubaldo Jimenez responded to a Friday long-toss session and said the right-hander, who has a cut cuticle on his right thumb, will throw a bullpen session Sunday as he aims to come off the disabled list.
"It was a very, very aggressive form of long toss," Tracy said. "The report I got was that he was really, really letting it go. I was extremely encouraged by that."
Jimenez gave up six runs, five earned, in his opening-day start April 1 against Arizona and has not pitched since. He would be eligible to come off the disabled list April 17.
Jimenez, 27, placed third in National League Cy Young balloting last season, when he went 19-8 with a 2.88 earned-run average and 214 strikeouts.
