Cliff Lee managed to avoid surgery after being limited to just 13 starts last season due to a flexor pronator strain, but he’s still a big wild card coming into 2015. The Phillies hope to get a sense on his progress soon.
According to Jake Kaplan of the Philadelphia Inquirer, Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro, Jr. said yesterday that Lee is expected to throw off a mound in the next week to week and a half. The veteran southpaw has been long-tossing without pain, but the Phillies aren’t sure what to expect from him yet. Amaro could probably best be described as cautious:
“That will be a good test for him, and we’ll find out more about how he’s progressing,” Amaro said before noting the lefthander’s health is “still a question mark, and until he’s pitching in spring training and pitching like we hope Cliff Lee will pitch, then we’ll know that he’s healthy and ready to go.”