Orioles right-hander Yovani Gallardo threw for the first time since going on the disabled list on April 23 with shoulder tendinitis, and said after the pregame session that it "feels like my shoulder is not restricted."
That's a big difference from the four starts he had made earlier this season, where the Orioles' premier pitching free agent's command wasn't where anyone wanted it to be and he pitched to a 7.00 ERA.
"I think it was just tight," Gallardo said. "It just felt like it wouldn't get loose. It didn't feel right. I just felt something different that I haven't felt in my career. One of the things I noticed was when I had my arm up it was kind of hard to keep it up in the higher position to drive the ball to home plate.
"I think that's one of the reasons the command wasn't there. It wasn't there that game [April 22]. But I think putting in all the hard work the past three weeks, I'm excited. Today was the first time playing catch and it felt good."
Gallardo threw 25 times from 60 feet on flat ground, the beginning of a program that will take him out to 90 feet Monday, and then eventually 120 feet. How his shoulder responds Sunday to the work he did Saturday will be just as important as how he felt immediately after throwing, and dictate whether he stays on that every-other-day schedule.
Manager Buck Showalter said he got an entire schedule for Gallardo from head athletic trainer Richie Bancells, but wouldn't divulge when the possible rehabilitation starts would be until he gets onto a mound.
"So far, so good," Showalter said. "That was a good step for him. We'll see how he feels tomorrow. It wasn't just flipping it. He was throwing. It's got some intensity to it."
Bullpen coach Dom Chiti, who oversaw the work Gallardo did Saturday, noticed an immediate difference in how he was throwing.
"You could see him, that some of his arm action was even better," Showalter said. "This is a guy that had great command, and that's one of the first things you know when a guy's not feeling well, when they lose command. I know with the Tommy John thing, that's the first thing you see. The velocity [too], but you see just a total loss of command and I'm not 100 percent sure why. But with experience through the years, that's what I've noticed. But he, I think, that's what I'm hoping that when he gets back, the stuff and the command is going to be better."
When they see those returns is still unclear. Showalter said he believed the schedule would be a bit longer than that of right-hander Kevin Gausman, who had shoulder tendinitis in spring training. Gausman took just over a month to return from his injury, though Gallardo has already had a longer period without throwing than Gausman did.