Luzardo (shoulder) is making encouraging progress from the left rotator cuff strain that shut him down in late March, Dave Sessions of MLB.com reports. "Luzardo feels absolutely fantastic, but he's still not throwing yet," manager Bob Melvin said. "He's champing at the bit -- he wants to throw. But we also understand for a guy like him, when you set a timetable, there's really no need to speed it up. We just want to make sure when he comes back, he's fully healthy."
Luzardo wowed this past spring, to the extent he prompted plenty of talk about the possibility of securing an Opening Day roster spot. His shoulder issues put an abrupt end to that speculation, but the 21-year-old appears to be on a steady road to recovery. With the big-league rotation at full health at the moment, Luzardo may be headed for Triple-A Las Vegas whenever he is ready to officially kick off his 2019 campaign. Prior to activation, however, he's likely to log at least a couple of rehab outings to ensure his shoulder is up to the rigors of the regular season.