SEATTLE -- Nate Jones is a little closer to whatever his next step may be after he threw a second bullpen session on Friday.
The White Sox reliever threw 24 pitches off the mound at Safeco Field on Friday, two days after his first bullpen session in Anaheim. While he has yet to throw a slider, Jones believes if he stays on course that he’d only have one or two more bullpens left before he takes the next step. Whether that would be a rehab assignment or a simulated game is a still a few days away, but Jones has made good progress.
“Everything went well,” Jones said. “Everything felt good.
“Knock on wood, so far, so good. I haven’t had a setback or a slowdown yet. I’m just taking it a day at a time, accomplishing that task each day, and today happened to be a bullpen. So we’re doing good.”
Jones is on the 10-day disabled list retroactive to May 1 with right elbow neuritis. Cleared by an MRI on May 3, Jones started to play catch again last week and has steadily progressed. Manager Rick Renteria said he’s optimistic about Jones and the club’s other pitchers on the DL.
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Jones said throwing the slider again would be the final step. Given it wasn’t long ago he thought he might be headed for another Tommy John surgery, Jones is pleased with the methodical approach to his recovery.
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“That’s one thing the White Sox wanted to do is make sure everything felt good as I was coming back the whole way,” Jones said. “Just tossing, progressing to long toss and progressing to the bullpens, they wanted to make sure I felt good because there’s no reason for me to come back not feeling good and going through the whole thing all over again.”