TORONTORoy Halladay took a small but important step in his recovery from a strained right lat muscle on Friday.
Halladay threw overhand for the first time in 19 days when he played catch with pitching coach Rich Dubee at Rogers Centre. Halladay made 30 tosses from 60 feet. He will do it again on Sunday.
Halladay acknowledged that it was a small step, but a positive one nonetheless.
I felt good, he said. This is one of the steps. It was good. The other steps have been good so far, so well go from there.
The other steps that Halladay referred to are the treatments he has received for the injury and the strengthening exercises that he has done.
He hasnt just been resting, Dubee said. Theres been a lot of work put in.
Dubee described the catch as a real light one. He said Halladay responded well.
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Today was just the first day of moving it and playing a little catch, Dubee said. He felt very good. He actually felt better than he expected. It was good.
A better read on Halladays condition will come when he adds intensity to his throwing. Halladay last pitched on May 27 when he had to leave the game after two innings with soreness in the back of his shoulder. An MRI revealed a strain in the lat muscle behind his shoulder. Dubee said Halladay felt much better than he did when he left that game on May 27.
Halladay actually began throwing a few days before his prescribed shutdown period of three weeks. He said he wanted to get two rounds of catch in before the team had an off day on Monday. If all goes well Sunday, he will ramp up the intensity of his throwing on Tuesday.
The initial timetable for Halladays being out of the rotation was six to eight weeks. That timetable remains intact. If all goes well, the righthander could be back in late July.
Ive still got a long ways to go, Halladay said. Its just one of the parts of it. I want to pitch. Ill be anxious to get out there and pitch. Thats the big one.
E-mail Jim Salisbury at jsalisbury@comcastsportsnet.com