Zych (biceps) reported feeling strong after his first experience throwing batting practice in six months Wednesday, Greg Johns of MLB.com reports. "It felt really good," said Zych, who is coming back from bicep tendon transfer surgery in his right arm. "A couple pitches and I felt like I was right there. Obviously, I wasn't trying to do too, too much. Just get out front with the hitter in the box and try not to hit 'em."
The recovering reliever was ecstatic after firing pitches at teammate Tuffy Gosewisch on Wednesday morning, a session that was watched closely by manager Scott Servais and general manager Jerry Dipoto. Zych continues to entertain the possibility of being ready for Opening Day on April 3, and he'll now take several days off before throwing another batting practice round. He'll be evaluated for a potential return to game action at that juncture, but Servais remains more tempered in gauging how soon Zych might be ready. "We're looking for the long haul here, not the short-term fix," said Servais. "He looked pretty healthy. We'll keep our fingers crossed he comes back well out of that. He could be a nice piece for us."