TORONTO – Finding relief in his troubled right shoulder thanks to a cortisone shot, Jose Bautista resumed throwing Tuesday and felt good enough to suggest he may be ready to play right field next week in Washington.
The Toronto Blue Jays slugger, back in the lineup at DH after receiving the injection Sunday, got up to about 90 feet during batting practice. He made about 25 throws and said afterwards he was pain free "so far."
"It’s definitely a progression and a different feeling," said Bautista. "It’s been a short window since I had the injection but I feel encouraged by the signs of how it’s felt today."
Bautista hasn’t played right field since his ill-advised throw from right field to first base in attempt to throw out Delmon Young on April 21. He’s been fighting swelling that’s led to an impingement in his shoulder since, and Sunday’s cortisone shot was designed to ease the inflammation and ease his pain.
The cortisone has eased his pain, Bautista said, and what remains is regaining his full form on the field.
During his throwing, he "felt OK, the strength is not there but normally our strength in our arms comes back fairly quickly," he explained. "As long as I can remain pain free I’ll escalate it as quickly as I can."
The Blue Jays play their first road interleague games of the season next week during a three-game stop in Washington, making his progress all the more pressing. With no DH during those contests, plus two more at the Mets on June 15-16, he needs to get back in the field to see regular action.
Asked if he continues to feel the way he did Tuesday whether he’d be ready for Washington, Bautista replied: "I think so."
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REHAB TIME: Dioner Navarro, on the disabled list since April 22 with a strained left hamstring, began a rehab assignment at triple-A Buffalo by going 1-for-3 with a double, throwing out a runner trying to steal second and picking off a runner at first in seven innings of work.
Navarro is expected to DH on Wednesday before the rest of his timeline is mapped out. He was nearing a return a couple of weeks ago before suffering a setback and both he and the Blue Jays plan to be careful given the load a catcher puts on his legs.
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ROUGH OUTING: Jeff Hoffman’s second pro start didn’t go any better than his first, as the ninth overall pick last year allowed four runs on 10 hits and a walk with four strikeouts in 4.1 innings Monday for single-A Dunedin against Jupiter.
The 22-year-old is making his way back after Tommy John surgery last May. Though Hoffman has routinely popped radar guns, touching 99 mph, the Blue Jays don’t mind that he’s getting hit as a reminder of the importance of locating pitches and hitting spots, regardless of stuff.
